We live in a world plagued by fear. People worry about illness, poverty, family disruption, war, famine, and the future.

For those who place their trust in the Lord, however, it's different. Because their lives are in the hands of an all-wise, all-loving, all-powerful heavenly Father, they can face any difficult situation with confidence.

Henry Durbanville writes this about the gifted fourth-century preacher John Chrysostom: "Exiled from the position which he held as the greatest preacher of his age, this noble man refused to be intimidated. 'What can I fear?' he asks. 'Will it be death? But you know that Christ is my life, and that I shall gain by death. Will it be exile? But the earth and all its fullness are the Lord's. Will it be loss of wealth? But we brought nothing into this world and can carry nothing out. Thus all the terrors of the world are contemptible in my eyes, and I smile at all its good things. Poverty I do not fear, riches I do not sigh for, and from death I do not shrink.'"

This same testimony can be ours. With God as our Father, Christ as our Savior, and the Holy Spirit as our Guide, we can face every situation with perfect confidence in the One who conquers fear.  — Richard De Haan