Revelation 2:10
10 Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and for ten days you will have tribulation. Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life
Everything will be alright. That is what we usually hear after someone says “do not fear”. Very seldom do we hear this after “do not fear”. It will get worse. That is precisely what Jesus told the church in Smyrna, one of the seven churches that received the Revelation of Jesus Christ from John. Telling someone who is about to be impoverished, imputed, and imprisoned, not to fear, is a strange comfort to the Christians in Smyrna. As they read on, however, they would see these two crucial things to comfort them. They would not be alone. All the churches in that region would suffer with them. And, in the end, everything will be alright. Jesus will return.
Do not fear, not because things will not get worse. We may suffer the loss of income, the slander of enemies, or even imprisonment as persecution ramps up. Yet, everything will be alright. These are not idle words to comfort someone. They are a real comfort that comes from reading Revelation and knowing that others in our church suffer with us, and the Alpha and Omega will also be with us from the first to the last. Take comfort in the return of Jesus Christ to make all things new for those who believe in him for forgiveness of sins.
O Heavenly Father, in your loving arms, we have nothing to fear. Thank you that everything will be alright because you are going to restore us to yourself. In Jesus’ name. Amen.