“When I Am Afraid, I Put My Trust in You”
Thursday’s Verse:
From Psalm 56:3 ESV
“When I am afraid, I put my trust in you.”
Some news stories just leave you stunned.
We found out about the incident that took place in the Middle East yesterday. A co-pilot on a plane flying from Dubai to Israel stabbed the pilot. It's stories like these that make us all feel unsafe. We want to know more. Was it terrorism? What was it? Who did it? Will it happen again?
There's no problem with wanting to know the truth. But until we know the truth, we as Christians should be cautious about allowing speculation to turn into fear and fear to turn into hate.
David once told us where to take our fears. "When I am afraid, I put my trust in you."
He didn't say "I'm not afraid". When you have faith, you aren't pretending that scary things aren't scary. As Christians, we live in the same world as everyone else. We are aware of violence and hate and sin and death. Some days they seem closer than others.
Fear doesn't have the last say.
Christ does.
On the cross Christ experienced the worst our wicked world has to offer. He was beaten and unjustly treated and hated and died. On Easter morning he rose from the dead. The evil in this world did not conquer him. Death did not conquer him. Christ conquered them.
So when scary things happen, we don't give ourselves over to fear. We pray for those that may be in danger. We pray for those that have been hurt. We pray for those trying to find out what happened. We pray for truth to be revealed and justice to be served. We even pray for those that have allowed themselves to be taken over by violence and hate.
And then we leave the rest in the hands of someone who can.
We will continue to see scary headlines. We will continue to not know everything that is happening. But Christ will never stop being our Lord.
"When I am afraid, I put my trust in You."
✝️ A Prayer for Today
Gracious Father, when terrible incidents occur in our world, and our fears arise, grant us Your Spirit to direct our hearts to trust in You. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.
Apostles’ Creed:
I believe in God, the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth.
And in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried. He descended into hell. The third day He rose again from the dead. He ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty. From thence He will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy Christian Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.
The Lord’s Prayer:
Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name, Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven; give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever. Amen.
Luther’s Morning Prayer:
I thank You, my heavenly Father, through Jesus Christ, Your dear Son, that You have kept me this night from all harm and danger; and I pray that You would keep me this day also from sin and every evil, that all my doings and life may please You. For into Your hands, I commend myself, my body and soul, and all things. Let Your holy angel be with me, that the evil foe may have no power over me. Amen.
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