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Do Not Fear
Andrea Lende • September 30, 2020
Luke 12:7
Do Not Fear
You can also listen to the meditation and prayer at: https://anchor.fm/andrea-lende/episodes/Do-Not-Fear-ekdimd
Luke 12:7
“But [even] the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not be struck with fear or seized with alarm; you are of greater worth than many [flocks] of sparrows.”
As the days of unrest continue, this verse soothed my soul.
Jesus was talking to the multitudes.
Our passage says that thousands of people had gathered around Him.
In fact, there were so many people trying to get to see Jesus that they were trampling on one another.
He was giving them some of His best counsel.
Our verse today is so beautifully stated by the Messiah, our Lord.
Who can possibly imagine that the Lord knows how many hairs we have on our head?
It is almost unfathomable.
But He knows everything about us.
He crafted us.
He carefully and lovingly made us.
So, He knows everything about us – more than we know about ourselves.
He watches over us and cares for us as any parent cares for a child.
Although He has a greater love for us than we can imagine, I can still think about how He must take notice of us in ways that I do understand.
Our verse shows us that He is most diligent in His care for us.
If He knows the numbers of hairs on our head, He knows far more about the intricacies of our bodies, minds, and spirits.
He knows our fears.
He knows our burdens.
He knows our pain.
He knows our dreams.
He knows our innermost longings because He put them there.
He knows how we think and what we think about.
While it is difficult to remain at peace in these difficult times, that is our calling.
Jesus tells us to “not be struck with fear or seized with alarm”.
He doesn’t leave room for interpretation in this passage.
He is clear that the Lord is taking particular care of each of us and that we need not live in fear and be alarmed.
I will heed His words and focus on God’s care for me no matter what is going on around me.
Today I choose to believe that the Lord is watching over me with great care and I can be at peace under the shadow of His wings.
May you find that as you reflect on God’s constant watch over you that you will be at peace and not allow yourself to live in fear.
Daily Prayer:
O Lord, my God, thank You for watching over and caring for me and the family You have given to me. Your Word tells me that You know the number of hairs on my head which reveals Your diligent watch over me. Thank You, Father, for the encouragement Your Word gives to me in these days of unrest. Help me maintain peace in You no matter the circumstances around me. Keep me calm and resting in the assurance of You and Your Almighty care. May Your peace be upon me. May You keep my eyes on You and Your Son today. Keep me connected to You as I move through this day. Help me enjoy the simple joys of this world. Don’t let me miss the beauty that surrounds me in Your magnificent sunrises and sunsets. Open my eyes so that I may see the spectacular mountains against the blue sky and trees that wave to me in the wind. Help me notice Your life and breath everywhere I go. Help me be a beacon of peace for others, Father. Help me bless someone this day. Thank You for hearing my prayer.
Answer: I treasure you and all of My creation, My child, and I AM watching over all.
Response: Thank You, Almighty and Magnificent God.
We start a New Year! How exciting! Paul had just finished telling the Ephesians to put off their old nature. They had been run around by their feelings and desires. He told them to be renewed in their spirit. The Amplified Bible defines this to be “having a fresh mental and spiritual attitude.” As we say goodbye to this year, let us put on the new and leave the old behind. We have an opportunity to reflect on what to bring forward into this New Year.
This is a great message for the New Year. We can be in control of our own words. As a mother, I used to tell my children to use their words to explain what was happening in their minds. I tried to help them find the right words. Words that would help the situation and not make it worse. I must do the same thing when talking to them. It’s important to use words that do not damage their spirits. Words that lift up instead of tear down. Even though my children have grown, I still want to be careful how I speak to them because my worlds will impact them for the rest of their lives.
As we approach the New Year, it is a perfect time to take inventory of what part of our lives, our hearts, and our souls are not bearing fruit. What can we give up as this year comes to a close? What do we need to give to the Lord for His cleansing and pruning? The answers to these questions take time. Time with the Lord. We are creatures of routines and habits which serve us well. But we can also change our routines and habits to serve us and the Lord better. So, we can ask God to show us what He wants us to give up so that He can have more of us.
I cannot think of a better verse to meditate on as we approach the New Year. Jesus said, "the kingdom of God is within you [in your hearts] and among you [surrounding you]." For so many years I believed I had to wait to go to heaven to experience the kingdom of God. I have longed to step into heaven and meet the Lord and His Son. However, as we read the Gospels and study Jesus and all that He said, we begin to understand the kingdom of God is all around us. The kingdom of God is within.
Paul wrote to the Colossians and told them he was praying for them. He prayed they would be refreshed, renewed, and invigorated. He also prayed they would be strengthened. May his prayer be heard by the Lord God Almighty on our behalf today just as it was received two thousand years ago. God is the Source of all things beautiful and wonderful. There is no shortage of renewal, refreshment, or inspiration in His kingdom. And as the Creator of this universe, He continues to pour all good things into His people. Paul wrote that refreshment and strength are needed so we may have endurance.
This verse is the perfect verse to reflect on as Christmas comes to a close. The Lord sent His Son to us. He sent Him to this world as a babe. Jesus was given the task of growing up. A difficult one for all of us. He endured the awkward stages we all go through as we grow past them. I look back at old picture and cringe, yes, I cringe. This life provides plenty of opportunities to feel awkward and just plain weird, but our Father loves us as though we are perfect every day of our lives. This is why Jesus came. He came to make us perfect in God’s sight.
God made Himself flesh so He could take away the sins of the world. The story of the very first Christmas was humble, yet the most powerful and loving birth ever recorded in history. All humanity changed in an instant. When Jesus was born, love filled the earth. Love came down and lifted us up. The angels came to tell the shepherds of this beautiful birth. The stars in the heavens also told the story. As we do all tasks that we do to ensure a beautiful Christmas day, may we remember the miracle that God sent long ago. The miracle of all miracles.
The first Christmas was going to be documented, so that it could be read many times over for all Christmas’ to come. It was also documented so the prophecy of the Messiah’s birth would be known to be fulfilled. Prophets of old foretold Jesus would come from the house of David. They also prophesied that He would be born in Bethlehem. And all this came to pass. Even though Jesus would be known as a Nazarene, His beginning began in Bethlehem. God’s divine plan was set in motion with the first census while Mary was at the end of her pregnancy.
What a wonderful passage to read during Christmas week. Our passage touched my heart as I read it through the lens of Jesus’ birth. “It was God [personally present] in Christ, reconciling and restoring the world to favor with Himself.” We have so much to be thankful for in these few short words, “restoring the world to favor with Himself.” So undeserved and yet so graciously given. We are offered favor with the Lord. Imagine having favor with the almighty God, the Creator of the universe. Jesus chose to leave heaven’s door where all was perfect. He chose to be born into this dusty messy world.
Jesus had just spoken to a fig tree and deemed it unworthy to live because it had no fruit on it. His disciples were amazed when they saw the fig tree wither and die. Then the Lord talked to them about prayer and belief. He told them that whatever they asked for, if they had the faith and belief, they would receive it. I remember the day I started hearing music and lyrics. I had just bowed my head at the piano and asked if the Lord would bless praise and worship music. As soon as I prayed that prayer, the Lord bestowed the gift of song writing upon me.