Enough: Lent DevotionalsSample

ENOUGH: FREE FROM FEAR

“Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom.” (Luke 12:32)

One of the great ironies of this age (and perhaps something tragic and wrong as well) is that we’re so wealthy, compared to the vast majority of the world, and yet so fearful about money. Anxiety about our personal finances is the most commonly cited contributor to marriage break-up, and a frequent cause of illness and depression. 

In this passage and in Matthew’s account of the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus addresses this fear, and encourages us to place our faith in our heavenly Father, who knows our needs and cares for us. 

In Luke’s version, however, Jesus goes on to say that anxiety about money isn’t replaced by another anxiety about God! It’s precisely because we know that God has brought us into His kingdom that we can be free from fear. Traveling with Tearfund, I’ve seen joy on the faces of the poorest of people, because they know this truth: we have what cannot be taken away.

Thank You, Father, that You don’t tease us with the prospect of security in Your kingdom, or grudgingly hand it over at the last minute – You give it to us with joy and generosity! May we be set free by the knowledge of Your love and be able to give all our energies to the things that will last forever. Amen. 

Paul Harcourt, New Wine