“He is not afraid of bad news.” (Psalm 112:7)
That would be a good place to be wouldn’t it?
As we waited to find out if our son had Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, I have to confess, I probably did fear the worst. How can we not be afraid of bad news? I think the answer comes at the beginning of our Psalm.
“Blessed is the man who fears the LORD”
Why? Well, when you fear the LORD, there’s nothing else to fear. When you fear the one who has everything in His hands, you have nothing to fear. When you know that the one who has everything in His hands loves you and is doing what is best, you can have peace.
The challenge is getting this truth from our heads to our hearts. But understanding this doesn’t mean that we never feel pain or sadness. When we got the news that he did have the muscle wasting disease, we were devastated, but not crushed. Even though we knew it would be painful, we knew the Lord was good and whatever He ordained for us was also for good.
How do we know that?
Today’s reading from Hebrews is really helpful. We read that the Lord Jesus took on a body, a physical body, so that He could die for us (Hebrews 10v5). He took on a body so that He could suffer for us, so that one day we could be free from suffering.
That’s how we know He’s at work for our good. We don’t alway remember that, and it’s one of the reasons God gives us the church – we need to remind and encourage one another (Hebrews 10v23-25).
Who can you encourage today?
How can you help get this truth of God’s loving sovereignty into your heart so that you don’t fear bad news? One of the things the Christians in Hebrews had done was to so fix their eyes on eternity, that they were able to hold lightly to what they had. Towards the end of our reading we are told they “joyfully accepted the plundering of their property.” How could they do this? They reminded themselves that they had a better possession, and abiding one (Hebrews 10:34). Imagine them as they got home to discover their home had been robbed. They were reminded that they had something no one could take, treasure in heaven! What joy they found even in the midst of the trial as they knew they had a better possession.
Heavenly Father, sometimes we fear bad news. Help us to trust you so that we know you’re always working for our good. Thank you that your Son took on a body so that He could suffer for us so that one day all our suffering will be over. Help us to hold lightly to our possessions, our loved ones, even our health, because we know we have an abiding possession with you. Help us to encourage one another with this truth. Amen
Light and Momentary Troubles 
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