Devotions with Pastor Holmes

He was a professional thief. Just his name stirred fear. He terrorized Wells Fargo Stage Line for 13 years (1875-1888). From San Francisco to New York his name was synonymous with the dangers of the frontier. He robbed 29 different stage coach crews without firing a shot. His reputation was enough! A black hood hid his face, fear was his name, intimidation his game. Black Bart – the terror of the Sierra Nevada’s!

Fear! One of the greatest thieves of peace and tranquility known to man. To him who is in fear said Sophocles, everything rustles! Often our answer to fear is to triple lock all our doors, doors of opportunity, relationships and hopes, and keep safely tucked away in the secure corner of inaction.

Let’s be honest, if you fly, you risk crashing. If you run, you risk falling. If you walk, you risk stumbling. If you laugh, you risk appearing foolish. Indeed the shortest route to failure is to embrace running scared.

Let’s not let fear win! Remember the words of Isaiah 43:1: Do not fear, for I have redeemed you. I have called you by name. You are mine.

Tell fear, you do not belong to its world of disability, but rather to the One who has conquered fear and the grave! Jesus is His name, love and redemption is His game!

Oh yes, remember Black Bart, that terrible terror of the old west? Well he was finally caught. His name was Charles C Boles, a mild mannered druggist from Decatur, Ill. He was so afraid of horses he rode to every robbery in a buggy!

Face your fear! Take its mask off and maybe, just maybe, you will discover it never was what you thought!

Pastor Holmes