In the challenging and confusing world we live in, we Christians very much need certainty and assurance. We need to know that God is great, that he is in charge, and that his purposes cannot be thwarted. We need to be able to say, with David (a man who lived through great difficulties and hardships and often was a step away from death),

“My soul finds rest in God alone; my salvation comes from him. He alone is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will never be shaken” (Psalm 62:1-2 NIV).

Because God is our fortress and our rock, and is always there, we need not fear no matter what happens. (See Psalm 46:1-3.) And we will not be shaken.

We need the assurance of knowing that Scripture is the revealed word of God, and that all of it is true. In a challenging and confusing world, it is a great blessing to know that there is something that is true for all eternity. When all around us seems like quicksand, it is a great blessing to have a solid place on which to stand.

We need the strength and conviction that come from continually growing in Christian maturity and doing what that implies.

I believe that our nation is at a dangerous point. Many Americans, including some with political power or influence, and quite a few judges, are rejecting (or ignoring) the Christian principles on which our nation was founded. I think we are in danger of losing the protection and favor of God that have made possible our remarkable success thus far. Without that protection and favor, our nation, and the principles of liberty for which it stands, can decline and disappear as so many great civilizations in the past have done. I believe that if mature, committed Christians are willing to take a firm stand for what we believe, we can stop and even reverse this tendency. To do so, we need to be very sure of what we believe. That is why I have written to “stir you up by reminding you” (2 Peter 1:13) of what the truth of Scripture tells us.

As I have said earlier, the committed Christian life is not easy. It calls for vigilance, decision, action and perseverance. At times it involves a struggle, which can be very intense. But its rewards are very great.

With God there is always hope. With God there is confidence and assurance. With God we can find peace, joy and love, regardless of the circumstances around us. With God all things are possible. With God there is always more.

“Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him” (1 Corinthians 2:9).

I join the Apostle Paul in praying for all of us,

“I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength, which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come” (Ephesians 1:17-21 NIV).

May God bless you!