slaves to the fear of death

Today's readings: Lamentations 4:1-5:22, Hebrews 2:1-18, Psalm 103:1-22, Proverbs 26:23

One inevitable reality that we all face, no matter what color we are, how much money we have, whether we're male or female... we will all die one day. This is a fact that people try to ignore or put off. But it's the biggest fact that we face in this life. One day we will die. What can we do about that?

The writer of Hebrews (might have been Paul, might not have been) gives us a powerful answer to that question today. He says that Jesus "set free all who have lived their lives as slaves to the fear of dying." There are many reasons we fear death. One is that we always fear the unknown, and while our faith tells us much about what will happen after we die, it doesn't tell us everything. So we fear what we don't know.

We also fear facing God. While we know that God is love, we also know that He is holy. And we know that we're not. When you bring the unholy before the holy... we fear what will happen.

But Hebrews tells us that Jesus sets us free from being slaves to that fear. Jesus "broke the power of the devil, who had the power of death." He rose from the dead, defeating sin and death, not just for Himself, but for us. So we no longer have to be afraid. We can live in love and peace, knowing that Jesus defeated the dragon of death that we face at the end of our lives. The beast is slain, and we don't have to live as slaves to that fear anymore.

If you still find yourself afraid, having trouble getting the fact of death's defeat from your head to your heart, pray and ask for help. Ask God to make it real to you... to release YOU in YOUR life from the slavery to the fear of death. Sometimes we have to ask for certain keys in our lives to unlock doors that keep us trapped inside. This might be one of those for you.

Thank You, God, for defeating death and setting us free from fear, so that we can live in Your love.