These Words of Scripture and many others became seals, anchors, filled up promises and the foundation of hope for Peter on Pentecost, for Paul preaching to the Jews in Antioch. They are Words that drive out the shadows of doubt with the certainty of the New Creation, New Sabbath, New Hope. They chase away fear with the joy that lifts our own crushed expectations and dreams out of the ashes to make them new. In the risen Jesus, all the hopes and promises He made are fulfilled for us. As much as we would like it to be otherwise, doubt and fear will always challenge us as long as we live in our sinful flesh in this world.
Sin keeps coming to batter and bruise our lives.
They get us lost in a maze of despair that tries to destroy our New Day. It s not hard to get us to doubt. Think of all the thoughts that went through your head as you struggled out of bed. How messy this day can still get. The fears and anxieties of sin creep in, crowding long days with facts.