March 9, 2024 

Today's Reading: Psalm 27:3-5; antiphon: Psalm 27:1

Daily Lectionary: Genesis 41:1-27, Mark 11:1-19

The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? (Psalm 27:1)

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.  Have you ever watched a scary movie then that night had innocuous things in your bedroom transform into something creepy and sinister? Suddenly that chair in the corner becomes something much darker, the creaking pipes sound like footsteps in the hallway, and on it goes until you either talk some sense to yourself, turn on the light, or completely give way to fear and resign yourself to sleeplessness. Because of a mixture of darkness and imagination, a place of safety and rest becomes the habitat of various monsters that are probably under the bed or in the closet. 

Fear is powerful. Fear can lead us to see things that aren’t there, take actions to protect ourselves that look silly in the light of day, and can lead us to put the worst possible construction on our neighbor’s actions. There’s a reason people say you shouldn’t yell “fire!” in a crowded theater—and it’s not because people are concerned that the occupants of the theater will quietly exit, but rather because they will panic and cause harm to themselves or others. Fear is a strong motivation to make many ill-informed choices, and people know this. So much of our cultural and information landscape now is constructed to make people afraid, we even have a word for mindlessly scrolling on our phones, sucked into increasingly bad news: doomscrolling. Fear holds us captive, and it is easy to begin to take counsel of it, using fear as a justification for greed, lovelessness, and despair. When we are formed by fear it is difficult to see the goodness and provision of the Lord, and to feel utterly lost in the doom and the darkness.

But God interrupts our doomscrolling to tell us a different story, a story where we need not be afraid. The LORD is our light, entering into that darkness, where we see monsters under the bed or on our social media, and disperses the shadows. We can rest in that comfort and joy, that though there surely are monsters in this world, and it may look a bit like they are winning, the greatest of these monsters has already been defeated. Salvation is ours, the victory has been won, and our lives are secure in the Lord’s stronghold. In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

O little flock, fear not the foe  Who madly seeks your overthrow;  Dread not his rage and pow’r.

And though your courage sometimes faints,  His seeming triumph o’er God’s saints  Lasts but a little hour. (LSB 666:1)

-Deac. Eleanor Corrow, Higher Things Board Member and coordinator in LCMS Missionary Services. 

Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor Jonathan Lackey is the pastor at Grace Lutheran Church, Vine Grove, Ky.

Unforgivable? Unforgiveness is a prison—mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. In a world full of turmoil, many use forgiveness as a coping mechanism without understanding what true forgiveness is. Learn what forgiveness from Christ looks like, and how He forgives His people.