Journey through John 6:16-21

Good Morning Church Family – Journey Through John

Read John 6:16-21

Devo Thought: Fear is a fascinating thing. It is our response to perceived danger. The danger may be real or not, but our response to whatever may be happening is certainly real. When fear happens, the amygdala of our brain takes control. Things like your heart rate and blood pressure increase as does your breathing. The blood flows away from your heart and into your limbs, so that you can begin to punch or run. All of these physical reactions are ways that your body is preparing to fight or flee. Additionally, the decision-making part of your brain (the cerebral cortex) slows down, which makes it difficult to think clearly and carefully about what you should or shouldn’t do. Fear is addressed at length in Scripture. Why is it that God would know that fear would be such a prominent part of our experience on earth? It’s because we live in a broken and fallen world, which means the world isn’t safe. We aren’t safe, and our bodies know it, so biologically, God created us in a way to cope with our lack of security. However, God also created us to think carefully and rationally about the world around us. Because this is the case, He addresses this issue quite frequently in Scripture. A quick search of Scripture will show that God addresses fear directly hundreds of times. In this passage, we see an example of this. What is funny about this particular episode is that Jesus himself is the source of their initial fearful response. Regardless, Jesus tells them though, “it is I; do not be afraid.” It’s that combination that makes it possible for us to not be afraid. The presence and word of Jesus has the power to calm our fears. Whatever you are dealing with, Jesus is near and his word to you is still “do not be afraid.”

Let us ask God to help us with whatever is causing us fear today.