jeremiah 29 11

Saturday…

Saturday of Holy Week is – in my mind – associated with silence. For the disciples this must have felt horrible. Their friend and teacher, the one they believed in as the Messiah, was dead.

I don’t know what they went through that day, but I can imagine it was not good. I imagine them feeling like the grief was crushing them. After all, it wasn’t just the death of their beloved teacher (which would have been bad enough) it was also the death of their hope in him…their hope of heaven and new life and the Kingdom of God.

I imagine that they must have been totally bewildered – wondering how all of the miraculous power, the paradigm-shifting teaching, and the deep love they had witnessed in Jesus, could end so horrifically. They must have wondered how it could have ended at all.

When I am feeling shocked, bewildered and frightened about the future, I have certain passages of the Bible that I turn to…words that help me remember to trust that God is in charge and that and that I am safe in Him.

So for this Holy Saturday, I am sharing one of my favorite Old Testament verses, which may have brought some comfort to the disciples, if they repeated it to themselves. I have used this verse before on my blog, but as far as I am concerned, it’s a classic that bears repeating.

For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.”

Jeremiah 29:11 NLT

Logically, or emotionally?

Today Koski went to get spayed by the Vet. On the one hand, this is a perfectly routine procedure and tonnes of dogs have gone through it before without a hitch. On the other hand, THIS dog is MINE. And that seems to make all the difference. I didn’t sleep at all last night. I cried when I drove away from the vet’s office this morning.

Logically, I understand that the risks were low and the likelihood that she’d be home with me by the end of the day was high. Emotionally, I was a bit of a wreck (not a terrible wreck, but it was stressful).

And that’s the reality of life, isn’t it? At least for my personality type, it is. I say this all the time: logically I know that….but emotionally I worry/fear/feel that…

One of my colleagues pointed out to me this week, that the fear and worry is a monster that is always hungry. And worrying about an issue just feeds the monster and makes him bigger and hungrier. I asked her what the solution was, then. Because the “just don’t worry” theory doesn’t really work.

And she said the wisest thing. She said, “Find a scripture that brings you great comfort, repeat it to yourself whenever you feel yourself beginning to worry.” So simple. So wise. The word of God chases away our fear and discomfort. The monster cannot survive when we don’t feed it.

So I have chosen a couple of scriptures to help me starve the monster:

“For I know the plans I have for you,” says the LORD.
“They are plans for good and not for disaster,
to give you a future and a hope.”
Jeremiah 29:11 NLT

Don’t panic. I’m with you.
There’s no need to fear for I’m your God.
I’ll give you strength. I’ll help you.
I’ll hold you steady, keep a firm grip on you.
Isaiah 41:10 MSG

If you make the LORD your refuge,
if you make the Most High your shelter,
no evil will conquer you;
no plague will come near your home.
For he will order his angels
to protect you wherever you go.
Psalm 91:9-11 NLT

You may choose different ‘starve the monster’ scriptures. But if you are one who finds it easy to worry, easy to feed the monster, I urge you to choose some and to memorize them and meditate upon them. Starve that monster. It’s a better way to live.