Fear

“I prayed to the Lord, and he answered me. He freed me from all my fears. Those who look to him for help will be radiant with joy; no shadow of shame will darken their faces. In my desperation I prayed, and the Lord listened; he saved me from all my troubles. For the angel of the Lord is a guard; he surrounds and defends all who fear him.”
‭‭Psalms‬ ‭34:4-7‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Are you fearful today? Do you have burdens on your mind and heart that have weighed you down? Call out to Jesus! He is always available. You never get a voicemail, busy signal, or a list of prompts to direct you to a particular department. Jesus is accessible and available 365  1/4 days of the year and 24 hours a day, seven days a week.  When we pray, there is something critical that we must remember. If there is sin in our lives, unconfessed to God, it creates a barrier of communication. Take a look at this scripture: “Come and listen, all you who fear God, and I will tell you what he did for me. For I cried out to him for help, praising him as I spoke. If I had not confessed the sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened. But God did listen! He paid attention to my prayer. Praise God, who did not ignore my prayer or withdraw his unfailing love from me.” ‭‭Psalms‬ ‭66:16-20‬ ‭NLT God desires our communication and He wants to help us. His very nature compels Him to mercy and grace. A simple moment of prayer can change darkness to light, despair to hope, and separation to reconciliation.  Cry out to Jesus today! Give your burdens to the Lord and leave it there.  “Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.” ‭‭1 Peter‬ ‭5:7‬ ‭NLT‬‬ I remember the 1994 movie "Angels In The Outfield". Toward the end of the movie, Danny Glover, the actor who played the team manager, walks up to the mound and tells the pitcher (actor Tony Danza) that he has an angel with him. Although this was a secular presentation, the idea was simple: In the natural world there are supernatural occurrences.  Today's focus text tells us that the angel of the Lord surrounds and defends all who fear God!  If you are truly a child of God, that reveres Him, then you have an angel with you right now. You may not see them but they are there. Let this encourage you today.  “Therefore, angels are only servants—spirits sent to care for people who will inherit salvation.” ‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭1:14‬ ‭NLT‬‬