Sunday, April 19, 2020
Do Not Be Afraid …
Deuteronomy 32:10
He sustained him in a desert land, in a howling wilderness waste; he shielded him, cared for him, guarded him as the apple of his eye.
Luke 12:32
‘Do not be afraid, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.
Words of Grace For Today
Isolated as we are, not completely cut off from the living, though keeping our distance, not able to see our loved ones as before, we experience the real effects of living in a desert land, in a howling wilderness waste land.
Even isolated though, we are not alone, for God is with us. God gives us the Kingdom, and in that Kingdom all live, and live well!
Fear cuts us off from our wonderful abilities to reason and place ourselves in reality, and then to choose how to respond … to choose to respond with Grace and Love.
Fear is the enemy greater than all others.
Repeatedly angels and messengers of God’s Word repeat what Jesus said often: Do Not Be Afraid!
It is too easy to let ourselves take in the new reality of being isolated because of Covid 19, of being likely to contract this highly contagious and for some painful and even deadly disease and forget all God’s blessings.
It is too easy to let ourselves despair.
It is too easy to let ourselves spiral into fear
that becomes frantic,
that becomes panic,
that becomes rash and foolish thoughts, words and actions
that put us at great risk, not only from this virus, but at great risk to lose our sanity, our God-given calm and the gifts of the Holy Spirit that equip us to be God’s Grace to others.
God treasures each of us.
So we can treasure one another.
Reach out to others as we still safely can:
especially
if you feel the walls closing in on you,
if fear grows on you,
if you feel despair circling.
Allow God to use each of us to sustain one another through this desert wasteland where fear grows too easily. Connect yourself and each other each day to the Grace that gives us breath, to the Courage that gives us life, and to God’s promises that give us hope, no matter what assails us.