Fear Not
Tuesday, June 17, 2025
God Goes With Us
And brings us home,
to a home greater than a city,
or even a nature retreat
…
at the last.
Genesis 46:3-4
Then God said to Jacob, “I am God, the God of your father; do not be afraid to go down to Egypt, for I will make of you a great nation there. I myself will go down with you to Egypt, and I will also bring you up again; and Joseph’s own hand shall close your eyes.”
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Luke 18:28-30
Then Peter said, “Look, we have left our homes and followed you.” And Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, there is no one who has left house or wife or brothers or parents or children, for the sake of the kingdom of God, who will not get back very much more in this age, and in the age to come eternal life.”
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Words of Grace for Today –
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The rise of dictators around the world, and most disruptive, to the south, has any thinking person on edge.
The threats are like those in many times in the past. None of those times were good times for most people. Of course there were a few who made tremendous fortunes on the backs of everyone else. But it’s hard to see how any good person today would follow that path, though plenty are poised to try, if not already in action, to ‘fleece’ us all for their gain.
The immediate economic threats are clearly felt as we look for food, clothes and shoes, transportation (even vehicles for some), and shelter (even apartments and houses for the lucky ones), all at prices that we can afford. No honest person says things are going to get more affordable. The effort is to stop the rate of increasing un-affordability! Drop that on our heads and the response is almost always FEAR. Fear for ourselves, and greater fear for our children, and all the following generations.
The breakdown of good order in society adds to the triggers of fear. More and more the police are found to be bullies or white supremacist-racists or misogynists or misandrists, as are prosecutors, lawyers and judges. Even churches seem to be led by those faithful to something far from the Gospel of Jesus the Christ. The less than faithful can be found in all religious institutions.
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If we follow Jesus …
If we follow Jesus then we recognize we were created and given great gifts (everything we are and have, including the unmatched gifts of the Holy Spirit – given at our baptisms) so that we can share them with those most in need … the world ‘round.
Which means we already have no claim to any security of possessions, place, privilege, or reputation. Instead our security is founded only in that God will be with us and …
Well, even though we have reason to fear for our survival in the future.
We already know the future will be harder than the present.
But God always offers us peace
in knowing God gives us life, not to enjoy comforts and false security offered by possessions, place, privilege, or reputation.
God gives us life so that we may expend it
giving life to others.
And in the end
God will be with us and bring us home.
Fear not.
Purpose given, the best possible security demonstrated each day, the only ending worth anything.
Fear not.
God gives it all to us.