Faith and Fear by D. James Kennedy

Today’s devotional reading for: MONDAY, DEC 19, 2016

Faith and Fear

Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, yes, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand. —Isaiah 41:10 Devotion: In Julius Caesar, Shakespeare puts these famous words into the mouth of Caesar as he is talking to his wife, Calpurnia: “Cowards die many times before their deaths; the valiant never taste of death but once.” It would seem that our land is filled with many who are not valiant, many who are tasting the fear of death, which for most in our secular society is the fear of the ultimate loss of all things. When faith in God and in Christ disappears, that faith is replaced not with a vacuum, but with fear. People’s hearts, generally, are filled either with faith or with fear. The deepest fears of men are these: is my life to end in a pile of ashes and a skull? Am I to occupy naught but six feet of space beneath the ground? Is there no meaning to my existence? Is there no one who really loves me or cares for me? What about my loved ones whom I have lost? Will I meet them again? These are the deepest fears and cares of human beings throughout the years and they are met in Christ for those who believe. Question to ponder: How does Christ Jesus conquer our fears?