Sunday, 28 November 2021
by Abraham Verghese

Fear or Fear Not?

“I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.” John 16:33

There are so many things that can cause us to be afraid. Yet the Bible tells us over 300 times not to be afraid. Even in the most terrifying of situations, from war zones to prisons, from dinner tables to being face to face with God, the message spoken time and time again is “do not fear.”We are surrounded by messages designed to undermine our self-confidence. We see rules being made and laws being broken. We feel the injustices of those decisions made. And then year 2020 brought with it a global pandemic. Some academics conclude that mankind are living in a culture of fear now. Fear has in sense become the underlying currency of our politics, economies, social systems, voting habits, belief systems and even our relationships.

The most talked about covid-19, should we continue to hide away in fear and hope it will go away soon? Should we spend more money on all sorts of safety measures, equipment and medications? Almost in any day’s news we will find reports of killings , injustice and corruption. In today’s connected world, that fear can turn into panic in a matter of minutes. How should a follower of Jesus respond when fear comes?

In Philippians 4:6–7 Paul asks us to “be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus”.

Even in the most dire of situations, Christians should have the ability to act in faith. There should be a distinct difference between the way the world handles fear and the way followers of Jesus handle fear.

Brothers and sisters, fear not. Look up to our Supreme Ultimate One instead of being filled with fear. God is at the centre of all that exists as He works out His purpose in us and through us as He is doing throughout all existence. Take our fears before God, lay out our anxieties before Him and ask the Lord to transmute our fears into the peace that only He can give.

Prayer :
Heavenly Father,
Forgive us when we allow anxious thoughts to cloud our thinking. Help us to remember, when fears and anxiety come knocking on our hearts’ doors, to answer with powerful Scripture! Help us to challenge our worries with life-building truth instead of destructive thoughts. Your peace will guard our hearts and minds in Christ.
In Jesus’ Name,
Amen.

每日灵粮
2021 年 11 月 28日星期日
作者：Abraham Verghese
翻译：林良億
主题：害怕还是不害怕？

约翰福音 16:33 我将这些事告诉你们，是要叫你们在我里面有平安。在世上你们有苦难，但你们可以放心，我已经胜了世界。

有很多事情会让我们感到害怕。然而圣经告诉我们300多次 – “不要害怕”。即使在最可怕的情况下，从战区到监狱，从餐桌到与上帝面对面，一次又一次说“不要害怕”。我们不断地被削弱自信心的信息所包围。我们看到规则被制定，法律被打破。我们感到这些决定的不公正。然后 2020 年带来了全球大流行病。一些学者得出结论，人类现在生活在一种恐惧的文化中。从某种意义上说，恐惧已成为政治、经济、社会制度、投票习惯、信仰体系甚至个人关系的潜在货币。

被谈论最多的疫情，我们是否应该继续躲在恐惧中并希望它很快消失？我们是否应该在各种安全措施、设备和药物上花更多的钱？几乎在任何一天的新闻中，我们都会找到关于杀戮、不公正和腐败的报道。在当今互联的世界中，这种恐惧可能会在几分钟内变成恐慌。当恐惧来临时，耶稣基督的门徒应该如何回应呢？

在腓立比书 4 章 6-7 节，保罗要求我们，“ 应当一无挂虑，只要凡事借着祷告、祈求和感谢，将你们所要的告诉神。 神所赐出人意外的平安，必在基督耶稣里保守你们的心怀意念。”

即使在最可怕的情况下，基督徒也应该有能力凭着信心行事。世界处理恐惧的方式和耶稣基督的门徒处理恐惧的方式应该有明显的不同。

弟兄哈姐妹们，不要害怕。仰望我们的至尊至高的神，而不是充满恐惧。上帝是一切存在的中心，因为祂在我们身上完成了祂的旨意，自创世以来上帝通过我们完成了祂的旨意。把我们的恐惧交给 我们的神，把我们的焦虑摆在祂宝座前，祈求上帝将我们的恐惧转化为只有祂才能给予的平安。

祷告：天父，当我们让焦虑的想法笼罩我们时，请原谅饶恕我们。帮助我们记住，当恐惧和焦虑敲响我们的心门时，要用强有力的圣经来回答！帮助我们用建立生命的真理而不是破坏性的想法来挑战我们的忧虑。你的平安会在基督里保护我们的心思意念。奉主耶稣基督的名求的，阿门。