“The wilderness and the dry land shall be glad, the desert shall rejoice and blossom; like the crocus ² it shall blossom abundantly, and rejoice with joy and singing. The glory of Lebanon shall be given to it, the majesty of Carmel and Sharon. They shall see the glory of the Lord, the majesty of our God.³ Strengthen the weak hands, and make firm the feeble knees.⁴ Say to those who are of a fearful heart, “Be strong, do not fear! Here is your God. He will come with vengeance, with terrible recompense. He will come and save you.” Isaiah 35:1-4

“Two hunters came across a bear so big that they dropped their rifles and ran for cover. One man climbed a tree while the other hid in a nearby cave. The bear was in no hurry to eat, so he sat down between the tree and the cave to reflect upon his good fortune. Suddenly, and for no apparent reason, the hunter in the cave came rushing out, almost ran into the waiting bear, hesitated, and then dashed back in again. The same thing happened a second time. When he emerged for the third time, his companion in the tree frantically called out, “Woody, are you crazy? Stay in the cave till he leaves!” “Can’t,” panted Woody, “there’s another bear in there!”  

Ever feel like you are trapped between a rock and a hard place? The beginning of a new year can make us feel that way. When January 1^st comes, we can look behind us to see the old bear still prowling, while we stare into the new year and see the new bear staring us in the face. What will become of us in 2021? There are a lot of scary things that go on in the world, and we will be challenged if not downright scared by the happenings both in this world and in our personal lives. But G-d has not called us to live in fear. G-d has called us to stand in the confidence of the Lord, in the obedience of the Lord, and in the faith of the Lord’s Omnipotence.  

Howard Thurman, author and pastor writes: “Nothing less than a great daring in the face of overwhelming odds can achieve the inner security in which fear cannot possibly survive. It is true that a man cannot be serene unless he possesses something about which to be serene. Here we reach the high-water mark of prophetic religion, and it is of the essence of the religion of Jesus of Nazareth.” (Howard Thurman. Jesus and the Disinherited (p. 56). Beacon Press. Kindle Edition.)

This new year let us determine to live without fear — and live into faith.  

Pastor Dave