“I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me” (Galatians 2:20).

Being crucified with Christ is such a hard concept to grasp. Yet, learning to die to ourselves is the key to life in Christ, a life full of peace.

Let me share a story with you about dying to our dreams. God visited Abraham and said to him, “Abraham, you will have a son. Through this son, your seed will be like the stars in the sky” (Genesis 15:5). God promised Abraham that through his son there would be many, many children.

Isaac is born, and God’s promise is fulfilled. Can you imagine the hopes, the expectations, the dreams that Abraham had for his son Isaac? “This is my promised seed from God,” Abraham must have thought proudly. “Through him, thousands upon thousands of people will fill the earth.” A proud father. A confident patriarch.

Then, God commanded something that might seem totally contrary to his character: “Abraham, take your son, your only son, and offer him as a burnt offering” (Genesis 22:2).

“What? Kill my one and only son? Kill this promise you have fulfilled? Kill my hopes, my expectations, my dreams?” The thoughts must have flooded Abraham’s mind.

Yet, Abraham put aside his human reasoning and obeyed God’s command. After he had laid Isaac on the altar and had raised a knife to kill him, an angel of the Lord stopped him. In the thicket, Abraham saw a ram that God had provided for him to sacrifice instead.

God wants us to die to our own desires, our own dreams. By dying to these desires, we are telling God that we fully trust him–that he knows what’s best for us. God honored Abraham’s obedience. God will honor your obedience. When we give up control of our own lives and are willing to die to ourselves, God will provide what we need. He can be trusted.

Prayer: Father, if there is any area of my life, which I have not released to you, please show me. Reveal any part of my fleshly self that is still alive and needs to die. Help me to surrender my selfish desires to you, nailing them to the Cross. I will trust that you know what is best for me.

God came to Abraham in a vision and told him, “Look toward heaven, and count the stars if you are able to number them. So shall your descendants be” (Genesis 15:5).

Years passed, and still there were no children. Abraham was 99 years old. Sarah was 90. Could they still have a child at this age? Sarah laughed at the prospect. The odds were certainly against them.

“What if I don’t have this child God promised? What if I fail God? What if I die and there is no heir? What if . . . ? What if . . . ?” Abraham could have listened to all those doubts and become downcast and distressed.

“Yet [Abraham] did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised” (Romans 4:20-21).

I want to persuade you that God has the power to do what he has promised you. He may not come to you in a vision or a dream. He may not speak to you in a thundering voice. But, we do have promises through Jesus Christ. Here are some of those promises that you can stand on:

• “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you” (Hebrews 13:5).
• Jesus said, “I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand” (John 10:28).
• Jesus said, “In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you” (John 14:2).
• Jesus said, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you” (John 14:27a).

You can stand on these promises. God is more than able to do what he has promised you through Jesus. I encourage you to rest in these truths.

Prayer: Father, Abraham did not waver through unbelief because of your promises for him. Fear and panic come as a result of wavering in the storms of doubt. Help me to realize and see the promises you have for me. Then, give me the courage and strength to stand on those promises.

It’s early Sunday morning as I write this, and it’s still dark outside. I can hear the rain pounding on our roof. Lightening strikes off in the distance. The flash illuminates the room for a brief second. I wait. I listen. The booming thunder soon follows. As the rain trickles off the roof, I am reminded of a scripture about God’s faithfulness:

“The rain and snow come down from the heavens and stay on the ground to water the earth. They cause the grain to grow, producing seed for the farmer and bread for the hungry. It is the same with my word. I send it out, and it always produces fruit. It will accomplish all I want it to, and it will prosper everywhere I send it” (Isaiah 55:10-11).

God’s Word is so precious. It is our primary link between the natural and supernatural. As the Holy Spirit illuminates the Word of God to us, our spirit grows and our faith is strengthened. As surely as the rain comes, so God faithfully fulfills his Word.

The Word of God is not only a book of life; it is a living book. Hebrews 4:12a declares: “For the word of God is living and powerful…” It is living. It is powerful. You are not only reading history–you are reading Life!

Let me encourage you this week to sit down, take a break and read a few verses from the Bible. As you read, ask the Holy Spirit to show you some of God’s promises. Ask him to show you new and exciting truths. Ask him to reveal your path to peace. Let him introduce you to the living Word of God, Jesus Christ.

Prayer: Father, reveal to me your faithfulness through your Word and through your work in my life. Make real to me your promises to help me through fear and anxiety, and allow me to find peace in those promises. Teach me to trust you with everything in my life.

My wife just shared this devotional with me. It’s from Joyce Meyer, and wow, is it so true! Be encouraged!

Let God Be God of the Present

Some trust in and boast of chariots and some of horses, but we will trust in and boast of the name of the Lord our God.

There are many facets of faith. The most brilliant facet, however, is trust!

Trust is something we have, and we decide what to do with it. We decide in whom or in what to put our trust.

We must remember Who delivered us in the past and know Who will deliver us in current troubles, then take our trust and put it in the right place, which is in God alone.

Trust has certain identifying characters. Trust is not upset, because it has entered into God’s rest. Trust is not confused, because it has no need to lean to its own understanding. Trust does not indulge in carnal reasoning, it lets God be God.

In whom have you placed your trust? In what have you placed your trust? Is your trust in your job, employer, bank account, natural talents, or friends?

Perhaps your trust is in yourself, your past record of successes, education, or possessions. All of these things are temporal. They are subject to change. Only the Lord changes not. He alone is the Rock that cannot be moved.

Choose to place your trust in God. It requires a greater faith, but it pays outstanding dividends.

Say This: “I trust in the Lord with all of my heart and mind. I will not rely on my own insight or understanding.”

“A horse is a vain hope for deliverance; despite all its great strength it cannot save” (Proverbs 33:17).

Years ago, when I first began my quest for freedom, I was seeing a counselor about this panic disorder. We went through the typical barrage of questions and answers for a few weeks. During one of our sessions, I explained to her how important it was for me to travel with my cell phone. When she asked why, I explained how I could immediately call someone “just in case.”

She called that a “safety valve”–the mechanism, habit or routine that each sufferer uses to help deal with a panic situation. For me, all I had to do was call someone when those terrifying thoughts would strike. By calling a friend or relative, I was forced to get the situation under control.

That was my safety valve, my pressure valve I could turn when the tension got to be too much, or the situation seemed to spiral out of control. As my heart raced wildly with anxious thoughts, I would reach for my valve of deliverance.

However, God warns us that our earthly safety valves are a “vain hope for deliverance.”

Can horses really save? Can cellular phones really bring peace? Horses stumble. Phone batteries run down. It does not matter how strong, how reliable, how trustworthy we think our safety valve is, only God can truly deliver us. He wants us to call on him as our first response, not our last resort.

Prayer: Father, I know that nothing in this world can save me. Yet, I realize that many times I have placed my trust in a safety valve. Please forgive me for not trusting you, and give me the strength to trust you more.

I remember going to doctors as a child crippled by episodes of fear. “So tell me what you are experiencing,” they would urge. I wouldn’t know where to begin. How can you explain the unexplainable? How can you dig up those memories you’ve spent so much time and energy trying to bury?

After I was married, the attacks were still as intense. My wife would try to console me by saying, “It’s okay, honey, I understand.”

Talk about the wrong thing to say! I would get so mad: “You do not understand! You do not know what this is like!”  How could she? She had never experienced a panic attack, and God forbid she ever would.

Anyone who has experienced the terror of anxiety and panic attacks knows the pain and discouragement that accompanies this paralyzing disorder. Yet, if you try to explain it to someone who has never experienced this type of fear, it is impossible for that person to understand.

“Each heart knows its own bitterness, and no one else can share its joy” (Proverbs 14:10).

Although no one on earth can share our individual pain, God offers us hope that we will experience a joy that is so special, so unique, so indescribable that no one else can ever understand it. What a wonderful promise!

Your joy may come through driving alone for the first time in years. Maybe it’s flying on an airplane or going outside of your home. Maybe it’s going to the grocery store. Maybe, it’s just waking up in the morning excited about what the day has to offer.

When you talk with people who have made it through this “valley of darkness,” they will tell you that the sunrise on the other side is more beautiful than they could have ever imagined.

Prayer: Father, I know the bitterness of fear–a pain that only you and I know. Your Word says that a special joy awaits me. Help me to see beyond the discouragement and fear–to the supernatural joy that comes from knowing you.

I remember talking with a friend about the panic and fear that has consumed my life for years. After a lengthy explanation of what it was like to live with this condition, my friend responded, “Russ, I believe there is hope. I believe you can be free from this.”

Immediately, I put up a wall of defense. “You don’t understand,” I announced. “It’s easy for you to say. You don’t have this crippling anxiety. I’ve tried everything to get free from this.” My frustration and anger began to rise. My mind began to race through all the failed attempts to break free. Nothing worked for me. It was just too difficult.

In chapter 32 of Jeremiah, the prophet informed Zedekiah, king of Judah, that God planned to hand Jerusalem over to her enemies, King Nebuchadnezzar and the Babylonians. No one wanted to hear these words of judgment, including the king who imprisoned Jeremiah for his prophecy. The idea of the bondage that lay ahead must have overwhelmed the ruler (Jeremiah 32:17).

Yet Jeremiah beseeched the Lord: “You have made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and outstretched arm. There is nothing too hard for You” (Jeremiah 32:17b).

Even in the depths of my discouragement and fear, I know that my situation is not too difficult for the Lord. He can help me in spite of myself. Even in the captivity of my despair, the Lord’s hand is not too short to save.

In response to Jeremiah’s earnest prayer, God promised, “Just as I have brought all this great calamity on this people, so I will bring on them all the good that I have promised them” (Jeremiah 32:42b).

Let me ask you a question that God asked Jeremiah and Abraham:

“Is anything too hard for the Lord?” (Genesis 18:14a, Jeremiah 32:27b).

Think about it. Answer carefully.

Prayer: Father, there is nothing beyond your ability. You can do anything because you are God. Help me to know that my condition is not too hard for you touch. Show me that freedom is feasible and peace is possible. Give me the courage to trust your strength.

Even though I no longer struggle with panic attacks, anxiety or agoraphobia, I do periodically experience night terrors. These are episodes at night where I’m totally asleep, and all of sudden wake up with a racing heart and panic thoughts (confusion, unreality, fear). It only lasts a brief second, but it’s still very similar to panic attacks, except now (since it happens when I’m asleep), I can’t consciously work my way through the episode. I wake up and it’s already full speed.

I have noticed that stress can trigger these. I felt like it was a combination of things–diet, exercise, stress and adrenaline. It feels a lot like excessive adrenaline build up, and then being released in the night. So, I have found that if I’ve had a rough day stress-wise, then I need to go exercise. For me, it’s a hour or running, biking and stair step machine. A good sweat and increased heart rate will really burn off that excessive adrenaline. And, I need to avoid all caffeine after lunchtime.

If I watch these things, and listen to my body, then I can avoid the night terrors.

Another trigger may be something totally different (or somewhat related). I was having lunch with a friend of mine the other day, and he was telling me about his recent diagnosis–sleep apnea. This friend never really slept much and when he did, it was shallow and often interrupted. After going to a sleep center, he was diagnosed with sleep apnea. He was never hitting that deep (level 4, level 5) REM sleep. Now he knows why he never dreamed. He could count on one hand the number of times he has dreamed for his whole life.

But, that’s not what caught my attention. He described the sleep apnea situation. Your body is asleep, and it stops breathing, for like up to 10 seconds. And then, your body responds with a small “fight or flight” response to get it breathing again. The result is rapid heart rate and fast breathing.

That’s very similar to a night terror. I awake with a rapid heart rate and shallow breathing. Again, the experience is real and typically related to my stress levels for the day, but sleep apnea is related to stress and diet, as well.

So, maybe there’s a correlation. Interesting, nonetheless.

Yesterday, I was talking to a co-worker about her sister, and how she was unwilling to change. She decided to keep making the same choices she always made. I realized at that moment just how grateful I truly was for God’s persistence in helping me make the right choices when it comes to fear.

Romans 6:16 says this: “Don’t you realize that whatever you choose to obey becomes your master?”

Whatever you choose to obey in your life will become your master. If you choose to listen to fear and obey its demands, you will become its master. Fear says things like “Don’t go over there. You could get hurt.” And, if choose to not go over there, then fear is your master. “Don’t drive to work today. You could be in an accident.” If you avoid driving, then fear is your master.

I have made this promise to myself: if fear tells me not to do something, then I do it. Conversely, if fear tells me to do something, then I don’t do it. I purposefully and methodically do the opposite of what fear is telling me. I have to. If not, fear will become my master.

Now, don’t get me wrong. There is rational fear and irrational fear. Rational fear is good. “Slow down as you get close to the turn.” That’s a good fear. That’s a God fear. Step carefully when walking through brush in south Texas. There are snakes. These are good thoughts, helpful thoughts, rational thoughts.

But, irrational fears are those areas in our thought process that can start to control us, make us do things we don’t want to do. Irrational fear is like a boss who never backs off his employee–pushing, driving, goading, pressuring–until total fear sets in.

Today, I challenge you–what is fear demanding in your life? And, are you giving in? Are you subjecting yourself to the demands of irrational fear? If so, stop. Just don’t give in any more.

With Christ in your life, you have the power to choose. The same power the raised Jesus from the dead lives inside of you (Ephesians 1:19-20). Fear no longer has power of you. You belong to Christ, and Christ belongs to God (1 Corinthians 3).

Be free!

The story of Job is a fascinating one. In his first wave of tribulations, four messengers came to his house while he was eating. The first told how enemies took his oxen and donkeys and executed the servants tending them. The second told of how lightning killed his sheep and more servants. The third told how the Chaldeans stole his camels and murdered still more of his servants. Then, the fourth messenger carried the worst news of all–a great storm killed all his sons and daughters.

What a tremendous tragedy! To lose all that you have in one day–one hour. The despair must have been overwhelming. Yet, here’s how Job responded:

Then he fell to the ground in worship” (1:20b).

What? Even in the midst of all his troubles, Job worshipped God? Even when his friends mocked him for it, Job worshipped God? And the Bible goes on to say that in all this, Job did not sin by blaming God (1:22). Personally, I think I would have blamed God. After all, he could have stopped it. He allowed it to happen.

I have never directly blamed God for my panic attacks, but I have said in my heart, “Lord, you have the power to take these away, but you haven’t.” I blamed him indirectly.

How can I worship God in the midst of these attacks? I would wonder. They are too devastating, too debilitating, too much for me to handle.

Then I look at Job.

Prayer: Father, I know you have a plan for my life. I am sorry if I have ever blamed you for the fearful, fleshly condition of my mind. Show me the areas of my life that need healing. Reveal to me anyone I need to forgive or release. You are the God of restoration–you alone can cleanse and heal. Begin restoring me today.