Words of Hope Daily Devotional
Surrender Your Fears
Read: Luke 12:22-34
Which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? (v. 25)
Many of us would have to confess that we aren’t anxious about anything except our worries. As Oscar Wilde quipped, “I can resist anything except temptation.” In order to surrender all, we have to overcome our fear of not knowing what lies ahead. We have to give our fears and worries to God.
Worry usually looks something like this: As we allow our fears to prevail, we tend to let our imaginations run loose. We think of all the bad things that could happen and then spend our time trying to figure out how to avoid or overcome them. We create countless worst-case scenarios and try to imagine what we would do if they ever happen. But in these scenarios, is God ever present? If we’re honest, we’d admit that we usually don’t include God in our “problem solving” because we think we can handle it ourselves. That’s not surrender.
In today’s reading, Jesus’s instructions to his disciples are clear. Fear and worry will not add a single hour to your life. God knows your needs, and God cares for you. We need to trust that our future is in his good and capable hands. Put into practice what Peter instructed, “casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you” (1 Peter 5:7). Don’t let your imagination dwell on “what-ifs.”
As you pray, ask God to help you surrender all your fears and worries to him.
About the Author
Jessica Heikoop was a writer and editor from Ontario, Canada. Beloved by her family and community, she died in 2013 at the age of 31.
Simon the Cyrene
Read: Matthew 27:32-37 They compelled this man to carry [Jesus’s] cross. (v. 32) I don’t think this was how Simon thought his day would go. Since Simon was from the distant region of Cyrene, he was likely a faithful Jew who
Trial before Pilate
Read: John 18:28-40 Are you the King of the Jews? (v. 33) What kind of king do we actually want? Do we want a ruler like Pilate, or are we willing to follow a king like Jesus? Jesus, the King of
Peter’s Denial
Read: Luke 22:54-62 Woman, I do not know him. (v. 57) Jesus stood before the high priest and religious leaders. They questioned him about his identity and brought false witnesses (Matt. 26:59-60). Jesus knew where this would lead, and he calmly
Betrayal
Read: Mark 14:43-52 The one I will kiss is the man. (v. 44) Those you love the most can also hurt you the most. When a friend decides not to spend time with you anymore, it hurts more than when you
Gethsemane
Read: Matthew 26:36-56 Remain here, and stay awake with me. (v. 38 NRSV) A lot of time as a parent involves being with your kids—making lunches, cleaning clothes, stopping fights, helping with homework. All of that is good and even a
Whole and Holy
Read: John 17:6-17 Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth. (v. 17) What is Jesus’s desire for the church? On his last night, he took time to pray for his band of disciples—the future fledgling church—that they’d be whole