The apostles were honest with their new converts: "We must go through many hardships to enter the Kingdom of God" (Acts 14:22). Jesus warned us, "In this world you will have trouble." But then he said, "Take heart! I have overcome the world" (John 16:33).

To some minds, North Korea's claim to have tested a nuclear device is a worst-case doomsday scenario. If the Communist nation possesses the capacity to launch a nuclear missile against South Korea, Japan, or even the United States, the world immediately becomes a far more dangerous place. But there's possibly good news in the bad news.

Whatever the day's news brings, here's a fact which won't change: Jesus is still Lord.

Most of life is in the attitude. We don't always get all that we expect, but we seldom get more. A positive mental attitude is essential to success. Make up your mind to be happy today, and you probably will be.

What fear about tomorrow is most burdening you today? Many are worried about finances in this changing economy. Some are facing health crises. Some are struggling to keep their families together. Students are looking toward the fall, some with excitement and others with anxiety. We're always down on whatever we're not up on. It's human nature to fear what we do not know, and none of us knows tomorrow.

We are seeking God's peace for our worried souls and days. So far we have learned to invite Jesus into our souls, practice his presence every day, and disown ourselves in surrender to his word and will.

To be free from worry, Thomas Kelly encourages us to take these steps. First, invite Christ into your soul. Ask him to forgive your sin and become your Savior. He cannot give us his peace unless he lives in our hearts.

The only way God can answer your call is when you make it about the present. He's already forgiven every sin you've confessed to him from your past; he will guide every step you'll trust to his will. So live in this moment, and you'll find God there. How?

The first step to living in the now is wanting to. So, why should we live in the present? For three reasons. First, worry over the future is pointless. A survey regarding worry revealed these facts: 40 percent of things most people worry about never happen; 30 percent of what we worry about has already happened and cannot be changed; 22 percent of what we worry about regards problems which are beyond our control; only eight percent of what we worry about are situations over which we have any influence.

Tomorrow comes so quickly that we worry about it today. But Jesus says that we should not: "Do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own" (Matthew 6:34). How do we do this? A psychologist once said that 90 percent of his patients live in fear of the future or guilt over the past. Wouldn't you like to refuse both? How do we live in the now?