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Romans 8:35,37-39 – Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. (NIV)
One thing that I have learned since having a horse is that I must be alert at all times when I am out riding in the cart pulled by my gelding, Frank. Why? Because horses are easily spooked. We can be out enjoying the stillness of a crisp and glorious spring morning, or dashing through a pristine, snowy landscape, when out of the blue, for no reason which I can discern, Frank, without warning, will jump or swerve to the side in fear. Windy days also hold their share of spookiness for him as unfamiliar or frightening scents assault his nostrils. It is only my firm yet gently guiding hands on the reins, as well as a calm soothing voice, that set him right again and keep him on track.
Horses are not the only ones that are easily spooked, however. How many times have I found myself — or have you found yourself — spooked? We're travelling along the pathway of life, and all is bright and full of sunshine and goodness, when we are assaulted by fear, either real or imagined. We receive bad news, we hear a rumour, we see something which we're not sure about, or our mind simply scrabbles down thought pathways that lead to dark and frightening corners. All the fears that life has taught us could become a reality at any time, for we live in an ever-changing world, a world that holds very few certainties regarding our security and safety. And yet, amidst all of these things, real or imagined, which have the power to spook us, God gently yet firmly speaks these words of power and truth into the hearts of those who listen and place their trust in Him:
Joshua 1:9b – Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go. (NIV)
God is with us. He holds the reins of our lives. And the answer to having peace and well-being amidst the spooky things of life is to continue to grow in trust and to learn to fully yield our lives, all that we are and have, to Him.
Proverbs 3:5-6 – Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths. (NKJV)
By so doing, His peace, power, and assurance are able to flow through His Holy Spirit into our hearts and minds amid any and every situation this life can possibly blow our way. He is with us every day in every way — whether we feel His presence or not — for God cannot lie.
Today, spooky things may come our way, either real or imagined. But amidst them, we have a choice: to be spooked by them or to conquer them through Him Who loves us and will never, ever leave us.
Which choice will you opt for today?
Prayer: Father God, thank You that You are always with us. Whether we feel Your presence or not, Your Word states this fact as truth, and You are incapable of lying. So bless each of today with the courage and faith to hold firmly to this truth, that we may be more than conquerors, amidst the spooky uncertainties of life, through Him who loves us. In Christ's name, we pray. Amen.
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Thursday, April 18, 2024 – In East Asia — Pray for more partners who become trainers in our house church planting network in East Asia. We are asking God for around ten of these trainers for each district in our region. May the Lord grant them courage in their next step of faith.
stressful travel ahead: "April 17, 2024: Please pray that our upcoming travel will be okay. A few problems have arisen with..." 
Another good challenge Lynne. Enjoyed much. God bless.
Thank you Lynne – your message is just what I needed to hear.
God bless you always.
Beautiful. God’s Words give such reassurance in a world of uncertainty. Thank you, Lynne.
Blessings.
Wonderful devotional. The world situation, especially the Middle East, is enough to put fear into all our hearts. Thank you for reminding us to keep our eyes on Jesus. The Lord bless.
Dear Lynne:
I have a file for my PCC devotionals that come to me every day. The one you wrote today is going to stay in my inbox to read every day — it’s that important. I truly believe this and I really try to practice this.
God bless you (and your horse too).
What a great testimony Lynne,
So many times in the Bible, the Lord tells us to fear not, yet it is one of those reminders we so often forget.
Thanks for bringing it back to our attention.
May God richly bless you.
We do get spooked easily at times! Even when we know God is with us to protect and guide, we STILL let our human mind race off to thoughts that upset/worry us! ‘Twas ever thus it seems — we just do not learn!
Thanks for the great devotional this morning! Do continue to write.
God bless.
Lynne – Thank you, so much, for this message today. I especially liked this sentence: “It is only my firm yet gently guiding hands on the reins, as well as a calm soothing voice, that set him right again and keep him on track.” That’s what it’s all about, being firm yet gentle with a calm and soothing voice. I’ll bet you are good at that! God bless you.
Thank you so much for today’s scriptures and your thoughts.
My husband and I are dealing with the frightening diagnosis of Alzheimer’s. My husband had surgery a while ago and had had memory and cognitive issues since that time. Recently an MRI confirmed the Alzheimer’s diagnosis.
The fear of what lies ahead can be overwhelming at times and often I feel scared and alone. My faith assures me of God’s continued presence in my live. Today’s reading was especially welcome and I wanted to thank you.
May God continue to bless and keep you.
Your devotional really blessed me today. Exactly what I needed to hear. Thank you!!!
How wonderful! Thank you for saying, more than once, “fears both REAL OR IMAGINED”. I am so inclined to create disastrous scenarios. I’m an eternal optimist, and my husband is a pessimist so there’s a lot of friction happening much of the time. Then I begin to imagine the worst … and pretty soon I’m in another pit!
Your beautiful picture of Frank being constantly reminded of who is holding the reins gives me such a lovely gentle picture of His Presence.
Blessings on your day.