Dear Faith Family, 

Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand, (Isaiah 41:10). 

I didn’t know what it was.  I didn’t know what the outcome would be.  I didn’t know the purpose of the encounter.  I didn’t even know who it was.  Sound familiar?  Fear is an unpredictable predator.  Sometimes it slithers in unannounced.  Other times it pounces with a peace-shattering volume. 

It was dark and stormy night (ok, it wasn’t stormy).  My car was then resting in the driveway.  Around the house I was headed.  And what to my peaceful thought-life did appear?  The neighbor, of course, with his trashcan in tow.  So startled was I with fear, oh my, that a word of passionate fear came rushing out of my mouth, “HEY”!  (What did you think I said?!) 

I didn’t know what it was.  I didn’t know what the outcome would be.  I didn’t know the purpose of the encounter.  And, I didn’t even know who it was.  I do know that I was frightened by the encounter in the dark.  Fear seems to feast on the unknown. 

Do you have any unknowns?  Any relational wildcards?  Work uncertainties?  Economic insecurities?  Medical mysteries?  Future ambiguities?  That sounds like a fully outfitted playground for fear!  And yet, God says “fear not”.  Why not? 

What we do know is greater than what we don’t know.  I guess I should say who we know has the ability to remove fear from the playground of the unknown.  And, who we know repeatedly announces His presence in our lives.  “I am with you.”  So, we are never alone when we face the unknown (the wildcards, the uncertainties, the insecurities, the mysteries, and the ambiguities). 

We also know that the One who is with us promises to arm us with His strength.  Wow!  Think about that for a second.  You know that He has the strength to speak the world into existence!  You know that He has the strength to establish and eliminate leaders.  You know that He has the strength to develop and destroy nations! You know that He has the strength to defeat sin and death!  

Here's the point.  God let’s you know that He is present in your life, Christian.  And, He will strengthen you with His strength.  He not only knows the unknown, He rules the unknown.  That’s something Someone to know!  Tell your unknown who you do know! 

Known, 
Pastor Karl