AnotherJohn.Com

  Listen to today’s devotional A Prayer in the Wind October 1, 2026 Matthew 14:22-33 Fear is a storyteller, but it isn’t always a truthful one. Give it one bad possibility, and it will fill in the rest. Once, Jesus told his disciples to cross the lake. So, they got into a boat and went. As they were going, the wind rose against them. During their struggle, sometime before the morning, they saw someone walking toward them on the water. It was Jesus. But their fear took one look at him and called him a ghost. They eventually recognize Jesus, and Peter asks him to call him out onto the water with him. So, Jesus did. And Peter walked on water toward Jesus. We tend to remember what happened next. Peter noticed the wind and began to sink. But before he sank, remember that he walked on water first. As he started to sink, he cried, “Lord, save me!” Jesus reached out and caught him. Before that, Peter and the others had cried out because they thought Jesus was a ghost. Now Peter was afraid ...

  Psalm 27:1-6 Listen to today's devotional It's been said that the phrase "do not fear" comes up in the Bible 365 times. That's once for every day of the year. Now, I haven't checked the validity of that, but I can say the idea of laying aside fear is a recurring theme in scripture. I do wonder, though, if we misunderstand what that means. Having had many conversations with people who struggle with fear, I'll affirm that there are many appropriate times to be fearful. That said, listen to the strong sense of confidence behind what the psalmist asks: Whom shall I fear? At the same time, notice that the writer acknowledges evildoers, adversaries, foes, and armies. It's not helpful to shrug off the struggles, pain, or situations that might fall on us. But you also don't have to wallow in them. So, yes, the psalmist will be confident, but I'm not sure that means fearlessness. The psalmist isn't showing off some false bravado. Rather, he's ...