let not your heart be troubled

The Golden Text for this week's Bible lesson speaks to each of us: Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. We all hold things in our heart that trouble us at times and if we do not deal with them it can lead to fear of the outcome. Abraham was asked, at age 75, to leave everything behind and start a long journey to a Promised Land. He did not let his age hold him back. At 99, God promises that Abraham will father a child and Sarah gives birth to Isaac in her 90's. Think of the medical challenges both of them overcame as they chose to be obedient to God. David, still in his teens, goes up against the seasoned warrior giant Goliath. He does not let his youth hold him back. Armed with confidence, but not choosing to wear the armor King Saul offered him, David runs to meet Goliath and defeats him. He did not let his heart be troubled by this Goliath-sized problem. Jesus had to constrain his disciples to get into a boat and leave him behind. Could have been that those experienced fishermen could see the signs of the storm they would encounter? The storm held no problems for Jesus, he simply walked right through it. Jairus feared for his daughter, who seemed to be dying. Imagine how he felt when Jesus agrees to come heal her and then is delayed by the woman healed of an issue of blood. Jairus' recieves word that she has died. But Jesus tells him not to be afraid of this news. When they get to the house the professional mourners are out front, making a great fuss, hoping to be hired. Jesus dismisses them and raises the child. That called for strong faith and pure love. The thought I will work with today is this: Step by step will those who trust Him find that "God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble." (S&H 444) Don't let your heart be troubled...or trouble you...today. Trust in the goodness of God. No weapon formed against you can succeed. No comments made against you will be listened to or believed. No evil shall come your way in any form, even illness is powerless to harm you.

being a witness

In this week's Bible lesson there is a verse from Isaiah that reads: "Fear ye not, neither be afraid: have not I told thee from that time, and have declared it? ye are even my witnesses. Is there a God beside me? Yea, there is no God: I know not any."

This prompted a trip to the dictionary to look up the word 'witness'. To witness something is to see, hear, feel, experience something. A first hand account. So God, our beloved Father Mother, is telling us that we are witnesses to His work. It is all we can see or hear or experience. Genesis One tells us that He saw all that He had created and it was very good. So as witnesses of that, we can witness only good. All we see and hear and feel today can be the good that is being expressed by God.

That also means that all we can share with others is that good that we have seen and heard and felt. We are accurate and faithful witnesses to the perfection God has created and maintains. We are good witnesses of what is true about ourselves and everyone we encounter today. So there is never anything to fear in what we see or hear or feel.

How well that fits with the Golden Text: "Consider the work of God". You are the work of God and He has made you to witness His goodness.