Corona Devo 286

“Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel, because he has come to his people and redeemed them... (74)We have been rescued from our enemies so we can serve God without fear, (75) in holiness and righteousness for as long as we live. ~Luke 1:68, 74-75

Did you catch the salvation and freedom declared in these verses?  

God has come to his people and redeemed them AND We have been rescued from our enemies so we can serve God without fear...

"we can serve God without fear." (Luke 1:74).

For the past weeks my heart has gotten tied up in knots of unrest on Sunday mornings as I listen to the sermons being preached.  At first I could not identify the weight, just that something felt incomplete or irrelevant.  The messages are Biblical, but they just don't seem to be applicable to today and the uncertainty that is swirling around us.  And I think that I (like so many sitting in the pews) are starving for God's direction on how to live today.  

And when I read these verses, I realized:  my "unrest and discontent" is stemming from fear.  

Not my fear, but I feel as though (many of) our churches are preaching in fear at this time.

Fear of Covid accusations, so they are keeping their doors shut or limiting their attendance.  During a time when our world is desperate for hope and purpose, I just do not understand.  I would like the newspapers to publish the suicide rates alongside the "Covid numbers".  Our Nation is hemorrhaging in the isolation and "remote" atmosphere that has descended upon us.  God is the only answer.  He alone brings purpose to our lives.   

Fear of public and community acceptance is not the message that I am reading in my Bible daily: We have been rescued from our enemies so we can serve God without fear, (75) in holiness and righteousness for as long as we live. ~Luke 1:68, 74-75.

Fear of insulting or offending someone, and so our preachers are ignoring the wicked political wool that is being pulled (media-forced/news-printed/tweeted/YouTubed) over our eyes as a Nation.  But the Bible I read does not say to cover our ears and eyes (and brains!) and to pretend that there is no evil occurring around us.  Our Nation was founded by people that stood up for God's Word and formed their lives and livelihoods around following God's rules.  And God blessed the United States of America as a result.  Our founders were not afraid to offend someone by meeting for church on a Sunday and their pastors did not hide in "safe messages" when their flocks were desperate for direction during an unknown time.  

“Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel, because he has come to his people and redeemed them... ~Luke 1:68

But we should not be depending on others (including pastors) to be our "saviors" right now.   God sent us one.  He sent us The One.  

This verse reminds us that we do not need to depend on anyone else to interpret the Bible for us, or teach it to us, and so I know that God is reminding me (us) to stay steeped in His Word, and to be led by it during these uncertain times.  And I am committed to it.  Please commit to reading the Bible and praying for our Nation with me.  God will be glorified by our obedience to Him.  And He is waiting to meet with us: he has come to his people.

(74)...so we can serve God without fear, (75) in holiness and righteousness for as long as we live. ~Luke 1:74-75

Reading God's word (like these verses!) banishes the fear from us.  God says to put it away (Fear not), and when we draw near to Him, He dissolves the fear in our lives.  When we give God the power over our thoughts and hearts, we stop giving fear the power over us.

...so we can serve God without fear: Jesus did not come so that we would be in fear.  He came to free us.  Of course Covid (infection and sickness) is real, but even with Covid in our world or our homes: we can serve God without fear.

The ups and downs of recent politics have caused more than a shadow of doubt over the integrity of our National processes and the people in positions pulling the strings.  But fearing tomorrow or who will govern our tomorrow is placing our fear above our faith in God, and we can serve God without fear, regardless of what happens in government.  

God is with us for the long haul, and He says we can serve Him without fear, (75) in holiness and righteousness for as long as we live. ~Luke 1:74-75.  I am clinging to that.  I am sick of the fear.  Both within my mind and within the minds of others.  I want to live and serve God without fear, and I love that He clarifies how long we are able to do that: as long as we live.

If you have been listening and looking for the green light to LIVE (without fear) today, it is shining out from the Bible.  I feel God's warmth radiating from the heat of this verse: “Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel, because he has come to his people and redeemed them... ~Luke 1:68

God came to us, and He redeemed us.  He did both of those things so that we can serve God without fear, (75) in holiness and righteousness for as long as we live. ~Luke 1:74-75.

God is our Preacher.  Now that is the message my heart needed to hear!

Blessings,

sarah

https://sarahsundy04.blogspot.com/ 

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