Claw marks and nail marks

Monday September 11th, Isaiah 35: 4 say to those with fearful hearts, “Be strong, do not fear; your God will come, he will come with vengeance; with divine retribution he will come to save you." Fear breeds all sorts of ills in this world. Fearful people attack others, afraid if they don’t they will be attacked first. Fearful people horde more and more of their wealth, afraid that if they don’t they won’t have enough. Sometimes because of their fearful insecurities they want to present an image of having it all together. When the presence of God is announced, it is often announced with the words “fear not.’ In God’s final world, there will be no room for fear, or the negatives it brings, war, greed, famine and the like. God has provided for all, and salvation will come to all. In the process, some of the things we hold onto to cover our fear will have a lot of claw marks as well as nail marks on them. Salvation is free, but it is not cheap.