#FEARLESS365 is a yearlong study of God’s commandment to us to live without fear. For 365 days, we will focus on one scripture and volunteers from all over the world will share their personal thoughts and what God has shared with them on the specific verse. For more info… go here.

Enjoy! ~Nichole

 Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer. I tell you, the devil will put some of you in prison to test you, and you will suffer persecution for ten days. Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you life as your victor’s crown.

This is a dark verse. The opening sentence immediately sets the tone for the grimness of our impending doom: Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer. Wow. God isn’t beating around the bush here. He is blatantly declaring that trouble is just around the corner. Suffering, persecution, imprisonment for some, and even death are pretty well guaranteed for us. He tells us this up front.I think there’s a misconception out there that, once you accept Jesus and begin to live within His will, your life is going to be filled with overflowing happiness, innumerable blessings, and blissful contentment. While Romans does promise us that God works all things out for good for His followers, the scriptures simultaneously state that for Christians, problems are unavoidable. At some point or another, each of us will be persecuted, whether it involves us being laughed at for being different or thrown into prison for our beliefs. We will suffer as the devil tries to thwart God’s plans, distracting us with various trials and dragging us down. And yes, some of us may even have to die for our faith, as so many of Jesus’ disciples have done over the years.

As gloomy and frightening as this is, it’s important for us to take away one thing: we do not have to face these trials alone. Let’s revisit the opening words: Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer. Do not be afraid. Why? Because God is with you. He’s with you now, and He’s with you in the coming suffering. He knows what you’re about to go through because He’s omnipresent; He’s already there, in the future, with you in the midst of whatever trouble lies before you.

Now, I’m a worrier. I hate not knowing what tomorrow holds, and I tend to expect and dread the worst. But this verse evaporates all worries. In the last sentence, God asks us to be faithful, even to the point of death. He promises that, even as your suffering leads you to your last breath, at the end of it all, He will be waiting for you. He will be there, welcoming you into eternity with Him. You and I, just like Jesus, will exit this life as crowning victors, conquerors of even the grave.

So yes. Suffering is coming. But so is God’s power to carry us through it. All of our worries and fears, no matter how small or big, are rendered invalid. I mean, If God can allow us to defeat even death itself, what do we have to fear?

Jennifer Oliver is a Licensed Practical Nurse and Blogger at Lifeisforlivingblog.com who lives in Huntsville, Alabama. Jennifer and her husband have adopted two abandoned dogs: Annie, a cuddly Jack Russell Terrier mix, and Brenna, a silly, chunky, five-year-old black lab.