Father,
The blanket of anxiety that is smothering Your children
is not from You.
The fear being broadcast and consumed across this land
is not from You.
The unease that permeates every moment and lays heavy on hearts
is not from You.
It is NOT from You!
If this darkness of dread is not from You, and it isn’t,
I know its source.
I know the who behind the hatred,
and the lies, and the trembling,
and the apprehension.
I also know that You are greater
than the one who is feeding hysteria
to the masses.
You are greater than the helplessness
ruling our hearts.
You are more than the minions of terror
creeping across this land.
You are MORE.
You are GREATER –
and I am Yours.
Help me remember.

⁷ For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.

II Timothy 1:7

As I write, I know that the absence of fear does not mean the absence of trouble. Christ promised – yes promised – that we would experience tribulation in this world. He said there would be times of persecution and turmoil. This is reality.

But He also promised that we could be overcomers; people who could live in peace right smack in the middle of the mess.

We can’t do this in our own strength, but we can claim His strength. We can take each step with our eyes focused on Him. We can rejoice, not in the trouble, but in His prevailing power and love.

Fear paralyzes. Jesus came to set us free.

I John 4:18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.

John 16:33 These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.

Romans 8:³⁵ Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? ³⁶ As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. ³⁷ Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. ³⁸ For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, ³⁹ Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

I John 4:³ And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world. ⁴ Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.

Photos – Over the Mountains, Eddy Mims; Storm Rising, Beth Mims