Welcome back, my friend! Let's get our hearts ready to have a conversation with God. The preparation to listen is as important as the listening. When I rush I don't hear him well. Quiet your mind. To hear a word from God that speaks to you personally is worth the time.
Now let's read from the Bible, John 10:22 through the end of the chapter. These are the words of God. Don't skip them to read my thoughts. It's not long, so read it again, even more thoughtfully. What are you hearing?
My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand. (v. 27-28)
This is one of those pronouncements Jesus made that just resonates in my spirit. I'm supposing that is because I am prone to feeling vulnerable and at times insecure. What lies ahead? The world throws a lot at us. The devil has me in his crosshairs. He would relish my downfall and demise. Add to that all the fear-provoking news that the media splatters all over the airwaves: The economy is teetering. Jobs are scarce. Political unrest seems to be escalating. Terrorism hasn't gone away with the death of Bin Laden. Even the movies want to scare us about whatever they can...and we even pay them to do it! Lately, its fear that some world-wide plague might take us all down.
We're a fearful lot, we humans. And there is plenty to worry about it...if you choose to do that. And let's face it, the whole "No Fear" logo thing is kind of funny. It's not peace; it's just apathy. You can opt out of fear by convincing yourself that you just don't care what happens. But me, I'd rather have real peace. And Jesus gives it in full supply.
Because I listen to his voice and know him personally, I don't have to be afraid. He has given me eternal life. My flame cannot be extinguished. The kind of life I have come to know in Christ nothing can take away. Even physical death can only transition it from its present expression to an even better one.
Jesus has me in his hand, and he's not letting go. Satan himself will try his best to tear me away from him but without success. My sinfulness troubles me but I feel the grip of divine grace. The world will threaten me but I know it can't destroy me. I have Jesus' word on that! My entire security rests not on my meager shoulders but on the mighty strength of my Deliverer. So you know what? I'm claiming that promise and enjoying some real peace. How about you?
If you'd like some further encouragement from God about letting go of your fear, watch the following video of a message I gave at One Life Church: Falling Forward: Fear
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