“The Bible verse shared, bookmarked, and highlighted most often by the global YouVersion Community during 2023 is…”
That was the grand announcement in my email the other morning. I found the verse quite telling. It is …
“Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” [Isaiah 41:10]
This verse as the Bible verse of the year boldly informs that fear is a constant struggle for many people. There is little in our politics or culture to alleviate that fear. In fact, much of our politics and culture adds to it!
Right around the time this verse ended up in my email, the FBI announced that we are in greater danger for terrorist attacks than we have been in decades. There was also another shooting on a campus. The war between Israel and Hamas escalated once again. Our region had several murders, including a domestic violence incident which killed a pregnant woman and her 10-month-old son.
I could go on, because there were many more such incidents, on the local, state, national and global stage. Add to that the nasty rhetoric of our national politicians, and anxiety and fear are exploding.
People are looking for relief from fear, but too many are looking in all the wrong places.
Relief from fear is only found in one place, in our God. He will strengthen us. He will help us. He will uphold us with His Righteous Right Hand. Amen!
