Dear Reader
“Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness” (Isaiah 41:10).
The phrase “do not fear” or “fear not” appears about 143 times in the Bible. Our fear results from what we are planting in our hearts, suggesting that we reap what we have sown. Today we can find fear at every turn—inflation, soaring gas prices, a resurgence of a pandemic, war, and rumors of war and violence that are increasing in every country of the world, whether rich or poor.
I think the soil for our seeds of fear may well be doubt. If we begin to doubt what God has planned for us, fear begins to creep in and will take over unless we overcome our doubt.
So, what is our alternative? To remember that we are His: “But now, this is what the Lord says, He who is your Creator, and He who formed you, ‘Fear not: for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art mine.’” (Isaiah 43:1). And from the Lord Jesus’ prayer for us: “I pray for them: I pray not for the world, but for them which thou hast given me; for they are thine. And all mine are thine, and thine are mine; and I am glorified in them. And now I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to thee. Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one, as we are” (John 17:9–11).
Now, if we are His, will He not take care of us? are His power and His love not enough, and are His promises to be doubted? “Do not fear, for I am with you.”
May the Lord increase our faith in these last days before His soon coming.
I trust that you will enjoy the articles in this issue during the summer months. It is our prayer that the Lord would use them for building you up on your most holy faith and help you to be established.
Thank you for your e-mails and notes of encouragement. Please keep praying for the Lord’s blessing on Toward the Mark.
Yours in our soon-coming Lord,
Emil S. Nashed
Please send your questions and comments to:
Toward The Mark
c/o Wayne Christian Assembly
60 Smith Lane
Wayne, NJ 07470-5354
Attention: Emil S. Nashed
www.towardthemark.org