Today’s Devotional Thought:
“He is not afraid of bad news; his heart is firm, trusting in the Lord.” (Psalms 112:7 ESV)
Seen any bad news recently? Are you afraid of what might come next for your family, job, business, or nation? In a coronavirus world, we’ve seen enough bad news to last a long time. But we’ll likely see more in the weeks and months ahead, as death tolls rise and the true economic impact is felt. But according to Psalms 112:7, true believers don’t need to be afraid.
Of course, Scripture never promises a constant flow of good news to true believers. Jesus says that his Father “sends rain on the just and on the unjust” (Matthew 5:45). But if we’re really trusting the Lord, our response to bad news should be different. What if we test positive for coronavirus? What if we lose our job? What if we lose our business? What if this pandemic stretches on for another six months? By God’s grace, we won’t react like the world around us; instead, we can react in confidence and hope.
But yes, this may seem simplistic, especially for those facing real bad news. And yes, the call to trust God in the face of bad news is simple. But I once heard someone say, “It’s simple, but that doesn’t mean it’s easy.” And that’s true here as well. If we really trusted the grace, love, mercy, faithfulness, wisdom, justice, goodness, omnipresence, omnipotence, and holiness of God, we wouldn’t be afraid of anything. It’s simple! But as we all know—if we’re honest—it’s not always easy to trust the Lord when things are hard.
But thankfully, that’s when we can look to Christ with fresh eyes. For if you read all of Psalm 112, you’ll notice that the person in verse 7 is one who fears God and loves the commandments. But he surpasses you and me because Psalm 112 is ultimately a description of Jesus Christ. He’s the only perfect person in history whose heart was truly “firm, trusting in the Lord.”
Therefore, when we feel afraid of bad news, rather than feeling guilty or ashamed, we can take those fears to Jesus, repent, and ask him to help our unbelief. And the Bible says,
“God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it” (1 Corinthians 10:13).
Ways to Pray:
Forgive me for being afraid of bad news and for not trusting you.
Thank you that I don’t need to be afraid of bad news, no matter what comes down the pike.
Please let me trust in Christ more and more, so that I don’t need to be afraid. Let me rest in his completed work.
Lord, as I interact with my friends, family, and neighbors, let me respond to bad news in a way that is surprising—even to me. Let me be a faithful witness for the sake of my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
Monday through Friday: Written by Pastor Stern
Saturday and Sunday: Written by Jonathan Hatt