AFFIRMING WORDS - DO NOT LET YOUR HEART BE TROUBLED

~ Rev. Dr. Dawn M. Enderwood
 
 John 14:1-4
 
 
Affirming words are essential to our well being.
 
You can do it!
Girls are great!
It not whether you win or lose…it’s how you play the game.
 
I love you sweetheart
It will get better.
You are smart.
You are kind.
You are important.
 
And from our Lord, Do not let your hearts be troubled.
 
 
Our planet is filled with troubled hearts today.
            Some of us are lonely--
            Some of us are unemployed--
            … angry--
            … afraid--
            And some of us are grieving--
 
The uncertainties of COVID-19 keep us ever on edge.
 
Do not let your hearts be troubled.
 
These are powerful words for our place in time.
            We are nearly 3 months into pandemic panic.
            It’s been 2 weeks since a soft opening of our city.
                        Still deaths are being recorded in our community.
                        Contagions abound…sometimes without symptoms.
 
Do not let your hearts be troubled.
 
Do not let our hearts be troubled, but HOW Jesus?
How?
 
 
 
 
Historically, we know of many tragedies that the people of God have faced:
            Remember Moses and the 7 plagues over Egypt?
                        Water turned to blood
                        Frogs
                        Locusts
                        Hail
                        Boils
                        Darkness for 3 days…
                        Death of the first-born son.
 
The Hebrew people—Moses’ people—God’s chosen ones—were effected by all of these…except for the last.
Their sons were saved.
Do not let your hearts be troubled was God’s promise as he passed over the Hebrew homes and spared their baby sons.
 
In Jesus’ times, people were stricken with leprosy, demons, corrupt officials, and other afflictions.
 
 
Tragedies have always fallen upon God’s people.
 
I don’t point out these events to make us think--
‘It could be worse.’ …
Or… ‘We’re not the first.’
 
Rather…
Let’s think about how the people of God of other times and places survived their unexpected…often shattering…tragedies.
Times when they felt sure God had abandoned them.
 
As we look expectantly to scientists and doctors for a vaccine, we may wonder the same.
Where is God?
Why has he forsaken us?
 
At this time…in our despair…let’s take a minute to remember who we are as people of God.
 
 
To remember that our lives and tethered to God.
To know that our lives are secured by God…and…
Regardless of how we might feel today, we are not free-falling into an unknown abyss.
 
 
God has not forsaken us.
             Yes, Jesus cried out those words from the cross.
            Even Jesus felt deserted by God.
                        He could not imagine what next hours of his life would bring.
He did not know he would be lovingly removed from his cross.
He did not know that he would be prepared for burial and taken to a new sepulcher by his friend Joseph of Arimathea.
 
                        He did not know that overnight…he would be SAVED.
                                    He was resurrected by his Lord.
He could not have imagined his miracle when he cried out in forsakenness from the cross.
 
During this pandemic…
during our uncertainty…
we are not forsaken by God.
 
 
Remember when Joseph was humiliated and angry with Mary?
He had a dream…
and in the dream and angel assured him
‘Do not be afraid. The birth of this baby fulfills the promise of the prophets.
                        And he shall be Emmanuel, which means ‘God is with us.’
 
In these days when our city is beginning to open…
and we are still afraid….
We recall these words, and know with confidence, God is with us.
 
 
Today we hear the loving words of Jesus to his disciples--Do not let your hearts be troubled.
 
Do not let your hearts be troubled--
            God has not forsaken us.
                        We are God’s people.
            God is with us always…our Emmanuel.
            And so, we live in faith and confidence of the promises of our Lord.
 
God is here.
God is with us.
God is loving us.
 
And whatever tragedies swirl around us…
            Whatever darkness presses down upon us…
            God promises something greater…holier… than our current reality.
 
God is here…
with us…
loving us.
Today…and always.
 
Amen.
Copyright Rev. Dawn M. Enderwood