No More Fear

Matthew 28
1-4 After the Sabbath, as the first light of the new week dawned; Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to keep vigil at the tomb. Suddenly the earth reeled and rocked under their feet as God's angel came down from heaven, came right up to where they were standing. He rolled back the stone and then sat on it. Shafts of lightning blazed from him. His garments shimmered snow-white. The guards at the tomb were scared to death. They were so frightened, they couldn't move.
5-6 The angel spoke to the women: "There is nothing to fear here. I know you're looking for Jesus, the One they nailed to the cross. He is not here. He was raised, just as he said. Come and look at the place where he was placed.
7"Now, get on your way quickly and tell his disciples, 'He is risen from the dead. He is going on ahead of you to Galilee. You will see him there.' That's the message."
8-10 The women, deep in wonder and full of joy, lost no time in leaving the tomb. They ran to tell the disciples. Then Jesus met them, stopping them in their tracks. "Good morning!" he said. They fell to their knees, embraced his feet, and worshiped him. Jesus said, "You're holding on to me for dear life! Don't be frightened like that. Go tell my brothers that they are to go to Galilee, and that I'll meet them there."

One of the most debilitating emotions we have is fear. So many times I have believed that if I could just have Jesus standing here in the flesh all of my problems of lacking faith and walking in fear would subside. As we read scripture this obviously is not true. Jesus and His angels had a clear message to Jesus’ disciples, “Don’t fear!” I like how it is worded in this translation of scripture, “Don’t be afraid like that.” There is a healthy fear of danger, fear of falling, and fear of the Lord that should always be in place. However, none of those fears bring us to the place of frozen debilitation. Those fears keep us safe from harming ourselves and those we love.
What are you scared of? What is causing you to stop in your tracks and decide to not take any more steps forward into God’s promises? Is this distraction really too big for the Lord to handle? I have noticed in my own life that I will always worship what I think is the biggest and strongest. In other words, that which I fear the most gets my attention and energy. Think about it. Who or what gets your best attention? Is it the damage in your life or the one that can heal the damages? Is it the state of the economy and the promises of our nation’s leaders or the truth that has been written from our Creator?

Dear Lord,
Help me run to you and trust you. I long to be a man of faith that does not fear the past, present or future-- Teach me to take that that next step of faith even though everything inside of me tells me to turn tail and run. Your resurrection was only the beginning of the wondrous life you have for those who call on your name and follow your voice.
I love you Lord!
Amen