By Ed Lyons

Health officials have long believed that an uncertain future heightens anxiety. Fear and worry are at an all-time high due to the COVID-19 crisis combined with social unrest in our country.

If uncertainty increases stress, then the opposite must also be true. And there are plenty of certainties in this world beyond death and taxes. In I John, the Apostle writes as an eyewitness to all that he has heard, seen, and handled concerning our Lord Jesus Christ so that our “joy may be full”. (1 John 1:4) Joy, not anxiety and despair.

John writes to us, so that we may not sin… and if we do sin, to remind us that “we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.” (1 John 2:1) He reminds us of the certainty that our sins are forgiven, that we have known Him Who is from the beginning, that we have overcome the wicked one, that we are strong, and that the word of God abides in us. (1 John 2:12-14)

He assures us that we know the Truth, because we have an anointing from the Holy One. (vv. 20 and 21) He tells us we have eternal life in Jesus Christ, the Son of God. (1 John 5:13) We receive answers to our prayers asked according to His will. (v. 15) We have victory over sin. (v. 18) We belong to God (v. 19), and Jesus Christ is truly God! (v. 20)

With this confidence, we cannot be shaken. Though the foundations of the world be moved, we will stand firm on the Rock of our Salvation. In the knowledge of His love for us, there is no anxiety or fear, because perfect love casts out fear. (1 John 4:18)

Thank you for your continued prayers and gifts of love for the persecuted Christians in the Nuba. Your support does more than fill hungry bellies or stock shelves in medical clinics; it points people to the Lord Jesus Christ. In doing so, fear and anxiety are cast out and replaced with faith, hope, and love. And the greatest of these is love!