“The Lord gives strength to his people; the Lord blesses his people with peace.” – Psalms 29:11 

These are the headlines I read for today. First Zika virus outbreak in the US. ISIS fight continues to rage in Mosul, Iraq. 2 Marine jets crash in a week. Boko Haram fighting in Nigeria. Bullets fly in a robbery attempt in Houston. Turkish government purges military because of a failed coup attempt. San Jose man stabbed in the face. North Korean missile lands perilously close to Japan.

And that’s only halfway through the news feed. Every day there is a new set of headlines. New murders. New attacks. New disease outbreaks. New economic crises. New humanitarian disasters.

We live in the reality of a truly broken world. And we as humans are the biggest perpetrators of that brokenness.

Once I was speaking to a woman who said she liked some things about Christianity. But the one thing she couldn’t get over was how Christians always talked about original sin. My response to her was that of all the doctrines in the bible, the idea of the fallenness of humanity and how we consistently act out that sinful fallen nature was the most easily visible. All you have to do is turn on the nightly news to see how messed up we are.

And we don’t have to look to news headlines to see it. We just need to look at ourselves.

That brokenness, that fallenness, causes many responses-anger, frustration, confusion. And most commonly, fear.

Being in a broken world, every human alive carries some degree of fear for the future.

But listen to the words of the scriptures. As you read these, open your heart, put your faith in them. They are breathed from the very breath of God. (1 Tim. 3:16) They are given by a God Who fully understands the type of world we live in but given to us to bring peace. To blow the hot stench of death away with the cool breeze of life from the very giver of life. Let these words soak into your soul.

“So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God.  I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” - Isaiah 41:10

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.  And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” - Philippians 4:6-7

“Peace is what I leave with you; it is my own peace that I give you. I do not give it as the world does. Do not be worried and upset; do not be afraid.” - John 14:27

“Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” - Joshua 1:9

“Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.” - Psalm 23:4

“Therefore, do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” - Matthew 6:34

“'For I am the Lord, your God, who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, do not fear; I will help you. Do not be afraid, for I myself will help you,' declares the Lord, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel.” - Isaiah 41:13-14

It’s easy to glance through these well-known verses. But take a moment right now and re-read them slowly. And before you do that tell the Lord you trust in Him, in His promises, in His faithfulness, in His sovereignty, and in His love for you. Take your time and re-read these promises slowly. They are the words of life.

Questions for Thought

1. How do you feel when you watch or read the news?

2. How did you feel as you read the promises of scripture?

3. What do you take away from these promises?