A Word of Hope - "Do not fear"

My God sent His angel and shut the lion’s mouths. Daniel 6:22 (NKJV)

It is one of my favorite stories in the Hebrew Scriptures. Daniel, a Jew,
is a counselor to the Persian King, Dairus. Daniel is well liked by the king and because of that he receives favored status. Others who surround the king are jealous of Daniel and try to find a way to discredit him. Ultimately they convince the king that everyone in the kingdom should honor the king and that anyone who honored and prayed to someone other than the king should be fed to the lions.

Of course, Daniel, who is committed to honoring God, cannot bring himself to follow the hastily adopted law. So, Daniel is thrown into the lion’s den. The king, who loves Daniel, is distraught and races to the lion’s den the following morning to discover that, indeed, God has closed the mouths of the lions and saved Daniel.

I love the story of Daniel and the lion’s den because I believe all of us face the lion’s den most days of our lives. I imagine that there are many days when we feel like we are going to be “eaten by the lions.” Of course, we always have a choice. We can honor God, and trust in God’s care for us, or we can be paralyzed by the fears before us. Daniel chose to put his trust in God. Perhaps that is the real lesson here. When we are facing the “lions’ of our days and nights, we too might do well to put our trust in God and know that “in life and in death, in life beyond death, God is with us, we are not alone, thanks be to God.”

Holy One, Creator of all things, lover of all life, remind me that no matter what the day brings, you are with me. Amen

It is an honor to serve along-side you!

Your friend,
Mark David Jackson

A Word of Hope - "God is our Refuge and strength"

“God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.” Psalm 46: 1 (ESV)

Do you ever wonder, how am I going to get through this difficult time? How am I going to cope with such losses in my life? How am I going to make these hard decisions? How am I going to survive? During June, not only did I ask myself these questions, but had close friends that were facing some very low times in their lives due to loss of a parent or loved-one, loss of a job, loss of a long-time pet, and if that wasn’t enough they experienced cancer surgery. And so, we begin to probe within ourselves, with seemingly all of our energy expended, thinking, how can we go on? How will we ever make it?

It is during these times, when our world seems to be falling apart that God’s precious Word gives us strength. God becomes our refuge. Close friends and family show us that God is a ‘very present help in times of trouble.’ When we begin to realize that He is with us, watching over us, sending His Holy Spirit to comfort us, sending words of encouragement through friends and family that show up at just the right time, we become aware of just how much God cares and loves us.

Have you ever said to yourself, “I just need to sit quietly and be still, so I can hear myself think?” During those still-quiet moments, you see the majesty of God and sense His Presence, even though you’ve come through the fire, raging rivers and trembling mountains, you realize that “there is a river, whose streams gladden the heart of God.” The Lord of hosts is with us; and is our fortress.

Psalm 46
1God is our refuge and strength,
a very present help in trouble.
2Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way,
though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea,
3though its waters roar and foam,
though the mountains tremble at its swelling.
Selah
4There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God,
the holy habitation of the Most High.
5 God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved;
God will help her when morning dawns.
6 The nations rage, the kingdoms totter;
he utters his voice, the earth melts.
7 The LORD of hosts is with us;
the God of Jacob is our fortress.
Selah
8 Come, behold the works of the LORD,
how he has brought desolations on the earth.
9 He makes wars cease to the end of the earth;
he breaks the bow and shatters the spear;
he burns the chariots with fire.
10 "Be still, and know that I am God.
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth!"
11 The LORD of hosts is with us;
the God of Jacob is our fortress.
Selah

This is the word of God for the people of God. Thanks be to God!! Amen.
With love and compassion for all those who are suffering,
I remain, your loyal friend,
Mark David Jackson