(Jesus said) " . . . Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid." John 14:27b
Fear.
Read the paper and you will be forced to confess: it's hard to beat back feelings of fear. Maybe that's why so many people aren't reading the paper any longer.
In recent years, fears have taken on a global, national, and neighborhood scale. Indeed, there doesn't seem to be any way we can escape fear. That's true for the common person, as well as the individual who has managed to make it to the top of the human heap.
Would you mind an example? I hope not.
Although he was one of the most powerful men in the world, Joseph Stalin, dictator of Russia, lived in constant fear of being poisoned or murdered. He had eight bedrooms -- bedrooms in which he could lock himself up -- bedrooms where he was as safe as if he had been in a bank vault.
Why eight bedrooms? He wanted to make sure nobody ever knew in which of those bedrooms he would sleep on any given night.
As I've gone around the country I've noticed most of our Daily Devotion readers don't have the kind of house that allows them to escape their fears by moving around from bedroom to bedroom.
True, some of us have equipped our homes with burglar alarms; some carry guns or mace, and most of us try to stay out of neighborhoods where we know we won't be welcomed. Still, after all our excellent precautions have been made, we are forced to admit: fear remains.
This is just one of the reasons we need a Savior. Of course, knowing Jesus does not mean everything becomes sweetness and light. It doesn't mean there is no cause to be afraid.
On the other hand, if Jesus is your Savior; if He remains Your constant Companion, you are assured that none of the evil in this world will have the final word, or keep the upper hand.
Remember, Jesus is the one who conquered sin, Satan, and death. His victory assures us this world simply does not have a match for our divine Protector.
And that, dear readers, is the special source of comfort we all need in this world of fear.
From a devotion originally written for "By the Way"
THE PRAYER: Dear Lord, You are so much more powerful than all the evils in this world. For having committed Yourself to my deliverance and protection, my thanks. In Your Name I give thanks. Amen.
In Christ I remain His servant and yours,
Pastor Ken Klaus
Speaker emeritus of The Lutheran Hour®
Lutheran Hour Ministries
Today's Bible Readings: Job 3-4 Matthew 8:1-17
To Download Devotion MP3 to your computer, right click here and select "Save Link As" or "Save Target As" or "Download Linked File As"