A Foretaste of Suffering -- and More

One of the stories we don't like to focus on during this time is told in Matthew 2:13-18. There, we read about infanticide: the killing of the young male babies by Herod's troops in the vicinity of Bethlehem, after the wise men visit

Father's Day, God, Fathers and Men

A few days ago in the US and many other countries we celebrated Father's Day. Historically, Dad has been the head of the family and the bastion of what's right, but in the search for equality and recognition for all, as well as admitting that men (and particularly fathers) have many human flaws, we've removed men, and Dad, from that pedestal. Also, some have had poor relationships with their fathers, and those two factors have led some to reject the God of the Bible whom they see as

Security

It looks like the economy and about everything else we can measure lately is in trouble. The news outlets are all reporting bad news, so of course everyone says we should get more conservative, which reduces spending and sales and store traffic, and the spiral continues. Makes us think that there's no bottom but of course, there is one somewhere. In the meantime, we all have to be careful and hope that we make it through financially.

Then there's physical safety. Air travel safety is a huge concern, terrorism seems to be everywhere, and it sometimes our personal safety is in question.

What can we do in the middle of all this? God's word is very clear, that although we may go through trials and difficulties, he does not give up on us or ignore our needs.

Psalm 23 says "even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will not be afraid, for you are close beside me." You may remember the famous "Footprints" poem, that reminds us that even in the hardest times, God walks alongside us.

Jesus, the Son of God who came to show us the Father's love for us (John 14, for instance), said many times that we shouldn't be afraid. He reminds us in Matthew 6:25-34 that we shouldn't worry, because the Father cares for even the birds, and we are more important to the Father than the birds are. Earlier in that chapter, the model "Lord's Prayer" has a section asking God for our daily needs, so it's okay to bring all those needs and worries to him too.

So we need to spend time in prayer, giving our worries to God and letting him fill us with reassurance and hope. He may even give us some encouragement that we can pass on to someone else! Let's not lose hope in uncertain times, but grow in hope and faith as we rely on God for our daily and eternal needs.