Listen to today’s devo!

Give thanks to the God of gods. His love endures forever. (Ps. 136:2)

A certified nursing assistant (CAN) who suffers from slight visual impairment once told me about going to check on a patient who sometimes hallucinated. As she approached, the patient pointed at the floor and said, “Hey, watch out for that snake!” The CNA immediately jumped back in panic before realizing that nothing was on the floor. She laughed about it later, but her behavior demonstrates the deep emotional reactions we have every day to lies we have been told. When these lies are passed around in our society or culture, they seem to gain credibility, and in the process gain influence on our minds.

It seems odd that the psalmist would make a statement about God's supremacy over other gods, because we know that no other gods exist. It isn't impressive to be greater than something fake. But the fact that there is only one God was not accepted by the cultures surrounding Israel. Perhaps this writer understood just how dominating our illusions or society's myths can be. When our perception is skewed, fear of the imagined, the irrational, or the unknown can become debilitating.

When a lie has us in bondage to fear, we need to be reminded that our loving God is greater than all things, real or seemingly real. The size of the problem in my head does not change God's supremacy over all.

When fear grips you, meditate on God's supreme power.

Debbie Shaw is a graduate of Indiana Wesleyan University and resides in North Carolina with her husband, Lee. She enjoys gardening, painting, reading, and coffee.

© 2021 Wesleyan Publishing House. Reprinted from Light from the Word. Used by permission. Scriptures taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®.