Fear. Are you feeling it today? Listen up! The future, though unseen, is secure - as secure as your trust in Jesus. He has already prepared the way to eternal life. The only issue that may still be unsettled is your willingness to believe God is in control.

"Men's hearts failing them from fear and the expectation of those things which are coming on the earth, for the powers of heaven will be shaken." Fear is a dark shadow that envelops us and ultimately imprisons us within ourselves. Each of us has been a prisoner of fear at one time or another - fear of the evil times, fear of rejection, misunderstanding, uncertainty, sickness, or even death.

As believers in God of our salvation, we can conquer fear by using the bright liberating light of the gospel of Jesus Christ who brings salvation. If we want to dispel the darkness of fear, let us declare publicly and in truth with the Psalmist David "the LORD is my light and my salvation." Too often we complain about our situation publicly and only praise God in private. How much better it would be to complain privately and praise God publicly. Think about it! And when these fearful things begin to happen, we can look up and lift up our heads, because our redemption draws near.

Regardless of what is causing the fear in your case, just remember that the Lord is your light and salvation. Wait for God to protect you from the situation. Waiting for God is not easy. Often it seems that he isn't answering our prayers or doesn't understand the urgency of our situation. Our impatience may imply that God is not in control or is not fair. But God is worth waiting for. Lamentations 3:24-26 calls us to hope in and wait for the Lord because often God uses waiting to refresh, renew, and teach us. Let us make good use of our waiting times by discovering what God may be trying to teach us in them.

May the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you. 1 Peter 5:10