fear?

Brothers and sisters in Christ, we live in a very tumultuous time.  There are so many things happening in our world and in our nation that are hard to understand.  Covid-19 is here and will remain.  One day there may be a vaccine, but there is none in the present.  Our nation is torn with racial tensions.  No authentic believer desires inequality or prejudice of any kind in our nation or even in the world.  How do we make a difference in dispelling the hatred and strife?  The economy has been thrown into an uncertainty, with jobs continuing to be lost because of Covid-19, decline in the natural resource industries like coal, oil and gas and even the potash mining.  The demonstrations of anarchy cause a restlessness in the human spirit, could civil unrest lead to another civil war?  All these things plus the duress on families, the development of “new norms” can cause a person to fear, even one who has a relationship with God.

But my brother and sister in Christ, that is exactly what the enemy, the devil and his ilk desires to do through these times, cause fear.  Fear can steal joy, hope, and encouragement.  Our enemy desires to destroy the testimony of the Gospel through deceptive fear.  Are there tough things happening, are the tensions, hatred, and financial uncertainties real?  Yes, they are, but believer our God, the great Creator of all things, the One who is sovereign, omnipotent, omniscient, and omnipresent has all these things in the palm of His hand.  God is not surprised by the wickedness of man, so we should not be surprised by it either.  God knows the darkness of sin and its domain, yet He has given us the Light in Jesus Christ His Son to stand firm amidst the darkness. 

During this time, it seems a lot darker.  But I think it is because the church is not meeting as it was.  When the light of Jesus in me, is with the light of Jesus in you, and the light in believers gather together, the light is brighter, and darkness does not threaten to overcome.  Remember, although we are apart more often than we are together, His light in us shines on, it is not alone. Hear the encouragement from Romans 8:31-37:

“What then are we to say about these things? If God is for us who can be against us? He did not even spare His own Son but offered Him up for us all.  How will He not also with Him grant us everything? Who can bring an accusation against God’s elect?  God is the One who justifies.  Who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is the One who died, but even more has been raised; He is also at the right hand of God and intercedes for us.  Who can separate us from the love of Christ?  Can affliction or distress or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written, ‘Because of you we are being put to death all day long; we are counted as sheep to be slaughtered.’ No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.”

If God be for us…we are more than conquerors.  Does that mean there will not be peril and uncertainty in the world, or suffering that we may face and endure?  No that is still there, but we do not have to fear any of it because our awesome and powerful God is for us, and we are more than conquerors.  When fear grips your heart, grip Jesus and His Word tighter, He is the source of light and will overcome the fear.


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