I'm back. Our children and grandchildren have gone home, and our tree and decorations are put away. I love Christmas, and I love when it's over.

While you and I were busy with family celebrations, life continued. I kept an eye on the news, although usually from the kitchen fixing another meal. As you know, the assassination of the former prime minister of Pakistan, Benazir Bhutto, consumed news coverage in the days following Christmas, with dismal reminders that Pakistan holds the largest cache of nuclear weapons of any other country in the region. The U.S. has considered Pakistan through its leadership our greatest ally in the Middle East on the war against terror. This event has propelled the country into chaos, and the likelihood of having their nuclear weapons fall into the hands of terrorists has become an astronomical concern.

We watched these events unfold on our televisions in the comfort of our homes. It's easy to grow fearful about what's happening in the world around us. But today on this last day of 2007, I wanted to call together a brief pep/persuaded rally to remind you once again that everything is going according to plan. God has it all under control. Consider this verse:

"The land which you cross over to possess is the land of hills and valleys . . . a land for which the Lord your God cares; the eyes of the Lord your God are always on it, from the beginning of the year to the very end of the year" (Deu 11:11-12).

The good thing about being persuaded is that persuasion can remain even when the news is bad. Even when the prognosis is dismal. Even when the bad guys appear to be winning. Even when chaos appears on the horizon.

When I was younger, I can't count the number of times I would call my mother with personal and global concerns. She would say over and over, "Lynda, hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm to the end" (Heb 3:6).

The years have passed, but those words remain the same, and today I'm passing them along to you. For some of you, it's not the national or international news that shakes you. Instead, it's an impending divorce or disease or financial devastation. My advice is the same, hold fast your confidence. Stay persuaded. Don't lose heart. Whether you're on the hill or in the valley today, God cares and He's watching it all. Be confident that God is in control.

And what are the benefits of this kind of confidence? The Hebrew's passage Mom would recite goes on to say "For we have become partakers of Christ if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast to the end" (Heb. 3:14). The word "partakers" found here is the Greek word metochos, which means "a participant, associate, sharer, partner, companion."

You and I can be associates, partners, companions with Jesus through everything. The only requirement is that we hold fast our confidence. Believe. Trust. Don't become shaken.

That's a goal we can all work harder to achieve in this coming year no matter what news we get. God is in charge. We can be confident of that.