Consider this message to the Church in
Smyrna and meditate on it.
Write this letter to the angel of the church
in Smyrna. This is the message from the one who is the First and the Last, who
was dead but is now alive: I know about your suffering and your poverty--but
you are rich! I know the blasphemy of those opposing you. They say they are
Jews, but they are not, because their synagogue belongs to Satan. Don't be
afraid of what you are about to suffer. The devil will throw some of you into
prison to test you. You will suffer for ten days. But if you remain faithful even
when facing death, I will give you the crown of life. Anyone with ears to hear
must listen to the Spirit and understand what he is saying to the churches.
Whoever is victorious will not be harmed by the second death. Revelation
2:8-11
Don't
be afraid of what you are about to suffer.
Remain faithful even when facing death. This was the message from
Jesus through John to the Christians in Smyrna. The message is the same to us.
Hang onto those words: Don't be afraid of
what you are about to suffer. Don’t be afraid. No fear. Here are a couple
of verses that I have found encouraging and I trust that they give you hope.
The LORD is for me, so I will have no fear.
What can mere people do to me? Psalm 118:6
Such love has no fear, because perfect love
expels all fear. If we are afraid, it is for fear of punishment, and this shows
that we have not fully experienced his perfect love. 1 John 4:18
No fear when we have the love of the Lord.
If our sins are confessed…and thus forgiven…then we should have no fear of
punishment. We don’t know what is ahead for us…suffering, loneliness,
rejection, pain and surely death, but if God is for me, who can be against me?
What makes a person fearful of death?
 |
| Cross at the Holy Family Shrine Gretna, Nebrasks |
Prayer
~ Lord Jesus, You had no fear as You obediently went to the cross, suffered for
us, bearing our sins on the cross. You literally died for us. Help us to live
without fear of death.
© 2020 Text and
photos by Mickey M. Hunacek. All rights reserved.
Unless
otherwise indicated, all scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation,
copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of
Tyndale House
Publishers, Inc. Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
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