Rom 14:7-12 Ps 27:1bcde, 4, 13-14 Lk 15:1-10

Weekly Guide for Daily Prayer The Daily Reflections

“The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom should I fear?”

With the chaotic and frightening events occurring in my hometown, it seems as though we should not be asking who to fear rather what to fear. I am from San Diego, California, where, as I write this, the large fires are sweeping through large parts of the county causing untold destruction and widespread fear. With a towering flame engulfing everything in its path, it is no wonder fear has entered into the hearts of many of the people living there.

A fire is one of those natural disasters that cannot be avoided especially in areas where it is dry and windy. In these times of fear and destruction we must understand that everything happens for a reason and God will only dish out what one can handle. I have a number of friends and family who have lost their homes to the fires or have come very close to losing their homes. The Psalms say that we will find “the good things of the Lord in the land of the living” and from the destruction of the fires comes the dawning of new life through the wildlife and the ground breaking of homes rebuilt upon the ashes. When in fear we need to turn our hearts to God and allow him to lead us to hope despite the situation.

Luke’s Gospel also led my mind back to the Southern California fires due to Jesus’ discussion of how a person may have many things, but just one lost item is cause for intense search until the lost one is found and returned. This reminds me of the unfailing efforts of the fire departments in California to bring even one house back from the brink of destruction. Although there are many houses that unfortunately were lost in the fires, it is those that were brought back from the edge of destruction that are cause for celebration among all those involved. People are the same way: some walk down the path of sin and never return, but it is those that turn just before the point of no return that mean the most.

Even the hope that comes from one saved house inspires the fire fighters and the homeowners in southern California to believe in the miracles that God can bless us with.