Fear, Frustration... and Faith

By Ilcias Vargas, Jr.

In the recent headlines these days, I've noticed two dominant sentiments: fear and anger. Both of these feelings are natural responses to what is transpiring in our world, especially here in the United States. Just think about it: Two school shootings in the time frame of little more than a month, bombs going off mysteriously in Texas, tornadoes devastating towns and cities in the South, and the list goes on. Who naturally wouldn't be fearful in these times? People are not only fearful, but also angry as they see different things transpiring both in our culture and in our government. Many have taken to the streets voicing their frustration — and maybe rightly so. We shouldn't have to worry about students being gunned down in our schools; we want others to be honest and fair in their decisions.

​In these times of frustration and fear, if we listen carefully we can hear our Savior lovingly calling to us, saying, "Look unto Me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth" (Isaiah 45:22). One of my favorite authors once wrote, "Our world is a vast ... scene of misery that we dare not allow even our thoughts to dwell upon."* If all we focus on is the misery in our world, we too will become fearful and frustrated. We must look unto Jesus; we must focus on Him by developing a close relationship with Him through prayer and the study of His Word.

Nearly two thousand years ago, on a spring weekend, the King of the Universe was brutally murdered, hung on a crude wooden pole, so that we can have hope in these fearful times — the hope of spending eternity with Him in a world made new. Because He died, we can have abundant life. Because He lives, we can face tomorrow without fear. Look unto Him, and be saved, America. Look unto Him, and be saved, all the ends of the earth.
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*Education​, p. 264