(Also posted at dcwillis.com)

‘Do not fear [anything], for I am with you;

Do not be afraid, for I am your God.

I will strengthen you, be assured I will help you;

I will certainly take hold of you with My righteous right hand [a hand of justice, of power, of victory, of salvation].’ -Isaiah 41:10 (AMP)

An issue that continues to plague me from time to time (less, but still persistent) in my Christian walk is that of fear. I have heard it said many times that fear is the absence of faith. I suppose that is a quick, accurate and easy-to-understand definition of it. What it does is keep me up nights when something is on my mind. As I often hear from others, problems [sometimes not even] become bigger and bigger as the clock ticks away into the early morning hours. Been there? Everybody I know can identify with that awful type of sleepless night. So why does that happen? It happens because my flesh still wants to control everything and my mind thinks I am smart enough not to have to wait on God’s time as I work to come up with the quick, easy answer to whatever it is that I think will work out for the best.