My courage comes from a steadfast belief in God’s faithfulness.  What does that mean, you ask?   I am frightened, especially in this era of nuclear, meets biological/chemical, meets fanatic environment where it remains only a matter of time before they accidentally succeed at something horrific.  The economy is frankly enough in itself to scare the pants off of all those who hoped to someday slow down or retire.  Our nation continues full speed toward moral relativism and liberal lax-ism, without any regard for majorities, voting or historical/Biblical reasoning.  Now you throw in a smorgasbord of Biblical signs/observances, basically you have a mad scientists recipe for hysteria.  I am scared for our children, hell I am scared by our children in their entitled, foundation-less, naive stance that everything should be free coupled with an ideology that everyone should just plain get along.  Everyone will remind you that some form of golden age enlightenment will somehow free of us what the agreed upon prognosis appears is leading us straight toward self implosion.  All of this matters, it is just that no matter what can and will go horribly wrong, I have more belief and faith in God’s promise that He has this all in control.  If not for my understanding and resolve in the character of God, by all rights, I should be totally berserk with fear, but I am not you explain that to me without getting into a discussion on the existence of the Almighty Sovereign, One God of this and every universe.

God created, then Jesus overcame this world, following our inability to recover from being duped by our own flesh and satan.  God’s enemy would have us lay down and be paralyzed or completely motivated by fear.  That is my largest cause for pity, mercy and understanding for those who do not yet know Christ, in that, they are susceptible to that fear control.  That is why the Lord told us that He did not give us the spirit of fear, so that we might remember when it comes upon us to seek His face and turn away from the controlling influences incumbent to fright.  Don’t get me wrong, I use fear as a guide to tell me when to be cautious, as it is an emotional signal that something is odd or dangerous, but I do not believe that fear should be the guiding influence for any of my actions.  There is one exception and that is the reverent fear that accompanies a limited understanding of God’s nature, for wisdom may not exist without a rational fear of and respect for Almighty God.  But I serve the Lord I do not serve my fear, my sin or any other deceptive influence, outside my control.  God will always show up, so there is nothing that I need be afraid of because He is my shield, my shelter, my salvation.

As we enter an apparent new segment of the last days, fear seems common to all men.  I am so sorry for them as this fear is evidence of the absence of relationship with God.  Father let me see there fear as an opportunity to point them to the comfort only available after a meeting at that Old Rugged Cross.  Forgive me for nurturing, sponsoring or inflaming anyone’s fears, let me be an encourager not a bellows for the enemy’s paralysis of men.  I fear Your wrath alone.  Let me use this fear to sponsor a burning fire within my heart.  A fire, born of the desire to seek out and pull back men from the edge of abandon.  Thank You Jesus for the opportunity to live free of fear and judgment.