Fear Not For I AM With You!!!
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Readings for Today - Go to www.biblegateway.com to access online for full readings
Psalm 27:1-6 Genesis 46:28-47:31; Matthew 16:21-28
Psalm 27 - Of David.
1 The LORD is my light and my salvation—
whom shall I fear?
The LORD is the stronghold of my life—
of whom shall I be afraid?
2 When the wicked advance against me
to devour me,
it is my enemies and my foes
who will stumble and fall.
3 Though an army besiege me,
my heart will not fear;
though war break out against me,
even then I will be confident.
4 One thing I ask from the LORD,
this only do I seek:
that I may dwell in the house of the LORD
all the days of my life,
to gaze on the beauty of the LORD
and to seek him in his temple.
5 For in the day of trouble
he will keep me safe in his dwelling;
he will hide me in the shelter of his sacred tent
and set me high upon a rock.
6 Then my head will be exalted
above the enemies who surround me;
at his sacred tent I will sacrifice with shouts of joy;
I will sing and make music to the LORD.
Genesis 46:28 Now Jacob sent Judah ahead of him to Joseph to get directions to Goshen. When they arrived in the region of Goshen, 29 Joseph had his chariot made ready and went to Goshen to meet his father Israel. As soon as Joseph appeared before him, he threw his arms around his father and wept for a long time.30 Israel said to Joseph, “Now I am ready to die, since I have seen for myself that you are still alive.”31 Then Joseph said to his brothers and to his father’s household, “I will go up and speak to Pharaoh and will say to him, ‘My brothers and my father’s household, who were living in the land of Canaan, have come to me. 32 The men are shepherds; they tend livestock, and they have brought along their flocks and herds and everything they own.’ 33 When Pharaoh calls you in and asks, ‘What is your occupation?’ 34 you should answer, ‘Your servants have tended livestock from our boyhood on, just as our fathers did.’ Then you will be allowed to settle in the region of Goshen, for all shepherds are detestable to the Egyptians.”
Jesus Predicts His Death
Matthew 16:21 From that time on Jesus began to explain to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life.22 Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. “Never, Lord!” he said. “This shall never happen to you!”23 Jesus turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns.”24 Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. 25 For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it. 26 What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul? 27 For the Son of Man is going to come in his Father’s glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what they have done. 28 “Truly I tell you, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom.”
Peter goes from hero yesterday, who by God’s grace recognized Jesus as Messiah, to the one who is rebuked today because he is a stumbling block to Jesus. Jesus even says “Get behind me Satan!” Not that Peter had become Satan, but Satan was using Peter’s fear to try and get Jesus to reconsider the cost of the cross.
We can see from our first two readings that bad things do happen to good people. The good King David had many enemies that tried to take his life, even though he was pursuing the good things of God for God’s people. And we have seen in the story of Joseph, his travails and how now God is using all that was meant for evil in his life for good for all people.
But sometimes in our need to control (which is what Peter is trying to do), we don’t allow God’s will to be done or we are a stumbling block to it. While Peter was led by the Spirit he could say “Jesus is Lord”, but then he slips back into fear and says, “Lord may this never happen to you.” How quickly we can go from total trust and surrender to taking it all back!
Let’s start today by taking our fears to the Lord and say with David, “One thing I ask from the LORD, this only do I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze on the beauty of the LORD and to seek him in his temple. 5 For in the day of trouble he will keep me safe in his dwelling; he will hide me in the shelter of his sacred tent and set me high upon a rock.”
Do not fear or be dismayed! Joshua 8:1
Do not be afraid; I am the first and the last, and the living one. Revelation 1:17-18
Father God, when disappointment arises and fear is all we can see ahead of us, let us hold on to our Savior, the Alpha and the Omega, the one who lives forever and ever. Amen.
Readings for Today - Go to www.biblegateway.com to access online for full readings
Psalm 27:1-6 Genesis 46:28-47:31; Matthew 16:21-28
Psalm 27 - Of David.
1 The LORD is my light and my salvation—
whom shall I fear?
The LORD is the stronghold of my life—
of whom shall I be afraid?
2 When the wicked advance against me
to devour me,
it is my enemies and my foes
who will stumble and fall.
3 Though an army besiege me,
my heart will not fear;
though war break out against me,
even then I will be confident.
4 One thing I ask from the LORD,
this only do I seek:
that I may dwell in the house of the LORD
all the days of my life,
to gaze on the beauty of the LORD
and to seek him in his temple.
5 For in the day of trouble
he will keep me safe in his dwelling;
he will hide me in the shelter of his sacred tent
and set me high upon a rock.
6 Then my head will be exalted
above the enemies who surround me;
at his sacred tent I will sacrifice with shouts of joy;
I will sing and make music to the LORD.
Genesis 46:28 Now Jacob sent Judah ahead of him to Joseph to get directions to Goshen. When they arrived in the region of Goshen, 29 Joseph had his chariot made ready and went to Goshen to meet his father Israel. As soon as Joseph appeared before him, he threw his arms around his father and wept for a long time.30 Israel said to Joseph, “Now I am ready to die, since I have seen for myself that you are still alive.”31 Then Joseph said to his brothers and to his father’s household, “I will go up and speak to Pharaoh and will say to him, ‘My brothers and my father’s household, who were living in the land of Canaan, have come to me. 32 The men are shepherds; they tend livestock, and they have brought along their flocks and herds and everything they own.’ 33 When Pharaoh calls you in and asks, ‘What is your occupation?’ 34 you should answer, ‘Your servants have tended livestock from our boyhood on, just as our fathers did.’ Then you will be allowed to settle in the region of Goshen, for all shepherds are detestable to the Egyptians.”
Jesus Predicts His Death
Matthew 16:21 From that time on Jesus began to explain to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life.22 Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. “Never, Lord!” he said. “This shall never happen to you!”23 Jesus turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns.”24 Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. 25 For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it. 26 What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul? 27 For the Son of Man is going to come in his Father’s glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what they have done. 28 “Truly I tell you, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom.”
Peter goes from hero yesterday, who by God’s grace recognized Jesus as Messiah, to the one who is rebuked today because he is a stumbling block to Jesus. Jesus even says “Get behind me Satan!” Not that Peter had become Satan, but Satan was using Peter’s fear to try and get Jesus to reconsider the cost of the cross.
We can see from our first two readings that bad things do happen to good people. The good King David had many enemies that tried to take his life, even though he was pursuing the good things of God for God’s people. And we have seen in the story of Joseph, his travails and how now God is using all that was meant for evil in his life for good for all people.
But sometimes in our need to control (which is what Peter is trying to do), we don’t allow God’s will to be done or we are a stumbling block to it. While Peter was led by the Spirit he could say “Jesus is Lord”, but then he slips back into fear and says, “Lord may this never happen to you.” How quickly we can go from total trust and surrender to taking it all back!
Let’s start today by taking our fears to the Lord and say with David, “One thing I ask from the LORD, this only do I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze on the beauty of the LORD and to seek him in his temple. 5 For in the day of trouble he will keep me safe in his dwelling; he will hide me in the shelter of his sacred tent and set me high upon a rock.”
Do not fear or be dismayed! Joshua 8:1
Do not be afraid; I am the first and the last, and the living one. Revelation 1:17-18
Father God, when disappointment arises and fear is all we can see ahead of us, let us hold on to our Savior, the Alpha and the Omega, the one who lives forever and ever. Amen.
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