Learning to trust God no matter what
Years ago, I sat there flipping through a magazine trying to find something of value to read. I glanced around the waiting room wondering why these others were here to see the neurologist. Was this occasional tingling in my feet minor compared to what they were experiencing, I pondered.
A couple of weeks earlier, my family doctor recommended that I see this neurologist. Maybe he could determine why this was happening. He ordered some tests and an MRI. We were going to look over the results. “Mr. Pond?” the nurse said as she opened the door to the small rooms in the back.
As I looked around the room, posters of medications and charts covered the walls. Diagrams of the human circulation system looked like roadmaps of the great state of Humanity, red and blue lines intricately winding through the entire body.
“Hello Mr. Pond,” the doctor said as he entered the room. “The results are back, and here’s what we found: you have a slight case of neuropathy, which is causing this tingling sensation. It’s not serious or dangerous, just a nuisance.”
I smiled. “A nuisance. I can handle a nuisance”, I thought.
“Also,” the doctor continued, “we found something on the MRI. Something unrelated.” As he held up the big, black and white negative, he pointed to a small area on the left side of my brain. “Do you see that white spot?” I nodded. “We need to run some more tests on that. It could just be some bruising, or possibly a mass or tumor. I’ll order some more tests.”
After a few more questions, I talked with the nurse about the other tests and then headed home. As I walked out of the doctor’s office that day, my first thought was this: “Lord, you created this body. And, through Jesus Christ, I have surrendered it to you. You can do with it what you want. And whatever you want to do with it, that’s fine with me. Life or death, I will trust you no matter what.”
Later tests confirmed that it was a mass–a small one, but a mass nonetheless. The weeks ahead were very strange for me. I kept waiting for that impact, that rush of fear to hit. Nothing. My wife and I talked about it. We both waited for something painful, something terrifying to hit. Nothing. So, we prayed and we asked our friends to pray.
Life went on for us. In fact, I would go months without thinking about it. Time would go by, and I would be at work saying to myself, “Oh yeah, I need to pray about this.” Strangely enough, it became a non-issue for me. Even today, as I linger in this “wait and see” mode, I have a hard time remembering my condition.
In the past, when fear gripped my life, even the slightest tinge in a muscle would have pushed me into a panic attack. I constantly lived in the land of “what if’s”. But, by God’s empowering grace, I’ve been able to put my complete trust in him no matter what happens.
Please don’t think I’m some super Christian. Far from it. There were times when my mind wanted to play in the playground of “what if”. But, I simply chose not to go there. I got beat up too many times playing in that playground. Rather, I would pray, “Lord, I am yours. I trust you to take care of me.” And when I prayed that prayer, God’s peace filled my heart and I knew that he would take care of me just as he promised he would.
Today, maybe you’re facing something terrifying–cancer, a tumor, surgery, a bad doctor’s report. Your mind has constantly been playing at the “what if” playground, and it’s created fear and worry. Let me encourage you that God wants to help you through this dark time. God wants to empower you to trust him no matter what happens. His grace is sufficient, for his strength is made perfect in weakness (2 Corinthians 12:9).
Prayer: Father, I need you to help me through this difficult time in my life. This valley in front of me is dark, and I can’t see where it’s going to end. But, I know that I must walk through it. So today, I give you my life. I surrendered all that I am and all that I have to you. Jesus, forgive me of the wrong things I have done in my life. I choose today to turn away from those things and turn to you. My life is now in your hands. You created this body and this mind, and they are now yours. Empower me to trust you no matter what happens, for I am your child. I ask these things in Jesus’ name. Amen.
Letting Go and Letting God
Letting Go and Letting God
I’ll admit it. It really bothers me. I can’t understand why bad things happen to good people. And, just as confusing, how good things happen to bad people. It just irks me. It doesn’t make sense to my logical mind.
Scanning through a magazine one day, I read story after story of starving children, natural disasters, diseases and plagues, and it really hit me hard. “Why, Lord? I just want to know why!” I would read these articles in tears, weeping for what seemed to be the unjustness of it all. “Why Lord?” I continued to question.
I began to look back at a time when the children of Israel had just left Egypt. God’s miraculous hand had delivered them from Pharaoh’s grip. Their prayers were answered. They were free people–free from the bondage of slavery.
And now, God established new rules and regulations–a new way of living. The boundaries were clear. The system of justice was straightforward and fair. You didn’t break the law. Period. If you did, you were punished. And, to further my acceptance of this system, the punishment was based on severity of the offense.
A minor trespass–a fine.
A major trespass–death.
It was fair.
It was just.
It made sense.
Not to mention, God was there in their camp with his people. By day, he was a cloud that descended upon the Tabernacle. By night, a pillar of fire. You could see and hear God. If you had a question, you’d just ask Moses and he would inquire of God for you. “Should I start this job? Is this my spouse for life? Can I carry my Bible to school?” Questions were answered clearly. The objectiveness of it all made sense to my logical mind.
But to my amazement, these people still grumbled (Exodus 16:2). They complained (Numbers 11:1). They doubted (Numbers 14:3). And, even more shocking, they rebelled against God (Deut. 9:24). God was just. He was fair. He did not hide himself. He spoke to the people. But still, they turned from him.
I guess I liked this system of law, because it created a sense of control. You were the one in control of your destiny. If you messed up, you had to deal with the consequences. There was no need for an intimate relationship with God. In fact, the people told Moses, “You speak to God for us” (Exodus 20:19).
Being in control gives us this vain sense of peace. “If I can just maintain control, everything will be all right.” When things are beyond our control, anxiety and fear wells up within our heart. I believe that’s why the fear of death is so common with people with panic attacks. It is something beyond our control.
Looking back across the ages, through the Old and New Covenants, God declared that the age of Grace–the age of Jesus Christ–is a better covenant with better promises (Hebrews 8:6). Why is this a better time to live in? I believe it’s because we are called to have an intimate relationship with our Father, not a life full of rules and regulations. We are called a blessed people, because we live in an age where sin is forgiven through Jesus (Romans 4:8).
Today, I encourage you to surrender your control to God. Live your life in Christ, for a surrendered life is a life full of peace. When you relinquish your control to God, he will wrap his arms of love around you, and the fearful vulnerability will melt away.
“I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me” (Galatians 2:20).
Prayer: Lord, I have tried for so long to control everything in my life. You have not called us to be in control. You have called us to surrender our lives to you. Lord, I put my trust in you. I put my hope in you. Thank you for allowing me to let go of those I can’t control, and giving me the courage to let of the things I can control.
Faith versus Fear
Over the years, I’ve heard numerous people teach on faith versus fear? It goes something like this: “Faith and fear are opposites. When you have faith, there is no fear.”
I’ve heard these types of messages for years. But honestly, I don’t believe faith and fear are opposing forces that directly fight against one another. Rather, I believe that exist together. When fear strikes, what do you need most during that difficult time–faith!
When fear pounds your mind, you have to reach up to God and trust him. You have to believe that God is there for you. That’s faith. Fear will demand many things from you:
“What if something happens to you.”
“You’ve failed before.”
“Something is wrong.”
You respond to fear with faith. You see, faith and fear happen at the same time.
Looking through the Bible, I cannot find any direct references that faith and fear are opposites. Rather, this is what I found: “There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love” (1 John 4:18).
In this scripture, I do see two opposites: fear and love. The scripture does not say, “perfect faith casts out fear.” No. Perfect love casts out fear.
There is something about the love of God that breaks down the walls of fear. In my quest for peace, I’ve learned about my Father in heaven who loves me so much and cares for me in ways I could never comprehend. Truly, perfect love casts out fear.
The faith you need to fight fear is the faith that God really loves you, and that he cares for you. How much does he love you? Let the following scripture speak to your heart: “For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:38).
There is nothing natural or supernatural than can separate you from the love of God in Christ. Nothing. But, you must receive it. If I give you a gift, it does you no good until you receive it. Today, receive the love of God in a new way–a way that you can be made perfect in his love.
Prayer: Lord, when the fear comes pounding on my mind, give me the strength I need to trust you. Your perfect love casts out all fear. Lord, I know you love me, and I trust in your love. Thank you for watching over me. My hope is in you.
Fearfully and Wonderfully Made
“For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well” (Psalms 139:13-14).
This is an incredible verse of scripture. We are “fearfully and wonderfully made”. I don’t think we can even imagine how complex our bodies and minds are. Let me give you one example of the complexity of human life:
The morning this message was created, I started thinking about what to share with you. The electrical impulses of my brain were in motion as thoughts swirled around in my mind. Memories were recalled about scriptures that I had read, and ideas formulated within my mind.
Next, I started communicating these thoughts onto my computer. Each letter of each word was first translated into an electrical impulse that stimulated a muscle in my finger, hands and arms to press a given key on the keyboard. That letter then appeared on a monitor that beamed light into my eye. Those beams of light then communicated images to my brain as the correct letter in which I had intended to press. (This did not happen all the time.) Those combination of images were compared with other images. My mind scanned all possible meanings to make sure the message was conveyed.
Then, I pressed the “Send” button, and this group of letters and words were transmitted via a computer network–yet another vast complex system created in the minds of other people–to another computer where it is stored for retrieval. Then, you logged on to your computer, and downloaded your latest messages. This one appeared.
As your eyes scanned across the page, your mind was forming the words each letter created. Again, the contrast between black and white (or whatever color you are using) allowed your eyes to send different electrical impulses to the brain so that your brain could distinguish which pixel is on and off. This created images compared with other images in your memory. These images were placed together with other images creating a word. This word again calls to your memory and brings up a meaning. Your mind sorted through all of the various meanings possible, and then settled on the proper meaning. Then, your eye scanned to the next word. On and on, you read.
Finally, the thoughts conveyed in this message are communicated from my mind to yours.
Now, add to that the spiritual component–God moving through your thoughts and impressions. God’s Spirit communicating to your mind, showing you how involved and complex we are. The entire process is unfathomable. “Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain” (verse 6).
Each one of you is very special in God’s eyes. He created you. He shaped and formed you physically, mentally and spiritually. If God will go to such depths to create us, don’t you think his love for us goes even further?
Prayer: Lord, I am fearfully and wonderfully made. You have created me special. You formed me in my mother’s womb, and you knew all of my days before even one of them came to pass. You care for me so much. You love me more than I know. Thank you for that love, Father.
Trusting your Father
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and don’t lean on your own understanding”(Proverbs 3:5).
For me, this was the key scripture that catapulted me down the road to recovery. When we trust God with our lives and don’t try to figure things out on our own, then fear–no matter what it may be–does not have foothold in our lives.
It all comes down to trust. Can you trust God with your life? With your death? With your family? When your heart is racing and your mind is filled with fear? Can you not fight those uninvited thoughts? Can you stand still and see the salvation of the Lord?
My first victory over panic attacks came when I was sitting in a recliner holding my son. The panic hit. My mind was racing. Then, I thought, “Lord, I don’t care what happens. I will trust you. If I die, then I die. Whatever happens, I will trust you.”
Do you know what happened? The fear came and went. It didn’t stay around long enough to do anything. No panic attack. No overwhelming fear. It just came to pass.
That was my first victory. Since then, I’ve been able to rest during an attack. Occasionally, an attack will get the best of me. But, I press into God and spend time alone with him. I pray and worship until I can hear that still, small voice encourage me, “Don’t fear, my child. You can trust me.”
I pray that each one of you will experience the overcoming power of trusting our Father. Our salvation was paid for with a very high price–the death of God’s Son. Do you think God would pay such a high price for our lives and not watch over us?
This weekend, let me encourage you to do two things: First, don’t lean on your own understanding–don’t try to figure it all out. Secondly, trust God. Trust your Father in heaven. When the fear hits, pray, “Father, I will trust you no matter what happens. With all that I am, I will trust you.” Then, just rest in his arms of love, and he will carry you. He will not let you fall.
Prayer: Father, I trust you. I put all of my trust in you, for you are my King, my Protector, my Lord. My hope is in you.
Listening to the Voice of God
This week, I want to share what I believe is one of the most important commands that God requires of us. Before we can love him, obey him, serve him, receive him, or worship him, we must first hear him.
In Mark 12:28-29, one of the scribes came to Jesus and asked, “Which is the first commandment of all?” Jesus answered him by quoting a scripture. He said, “The first of all the commandments is this: “Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God is one.” Jesus goes on to explain that we should love the Lord our God with all our heart, soul and mind. But, before we can do that, we must hear. How do we know how to love God with all of our heart, soul and mind if we can’t hear him?
Listening, according to Jesus, was very important. Throughout scripture, Jesus would say, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear” (Matthew 11:15). Why? Because it is through hearing that we receive faith. It is the words of God spoken to our heart that kindles our faith, for “faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God” (Romans 10:17).
Picture the scene: Jesus and three of his disciples–Peter, James and John–went up to a mountain. There, Jesus was transfigured right before their eyes. As they watched, Jesus’ appearance changed from an earthly body with dirty clothes to a heavenly body with a brilliant, white robe. Moses and Elijah were there. Heaven touched earth. And when it did, God the Father’s voice thundered with this simple command: “This is my beloved Son. Listen to him” (Mark 9:7).
Before we can do anything, we must listen to God. We must hear him. Sadly, most cultures shun the thought of “hearing God.” Sure, you can talk to God–that’s called praying. But if God talks to you, then most people think you are strange or spooky. Why is that? Why can we talk to God, but him not talk to us? I think the devil knows that so much of our strength and confidence and peace come through hearing God. So, if this enemy of God wants to thwart those good things from the Father, he only needs to convince us that God doesn’t speak or that we can’t hear him.
On the contrary, God does speak. And, we can hear him. Jesus explains very clearly: “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me” (John 10:27). We can hear his voice, not his audible voice, but his still, small voice that speaks to our spirit. Through convictions, thoughts, circumstances, dreams, situations, God guides and directs our lives. Why? Because he longs for a relationship with us.
“So how does this relate to fear and anxiety?” you may ask. For anyone battling anxious thoughts or crippling fear, listening to God can bring peace. Why? Psalms 85:8 explains, “I listen carefully to what God the LORD is saying, for he speaks peace to his people, his faithful ones.”
You see, God is constantly speaking peace over your life. If you can just listen for a moment and hear your Father’s heart speak to your heart, you would hear wonderful, peaceful, restful words of love that can transform you from a fearful human being to a confident, peaceful child of God. That’s what listening can do.
All relationships are birthed in communication–husbands and wives, parents and children, friend to friend. God created us for relationship. This week, I encourage you simply to do one thing–listen. Take time to listen to the peaceful words God wants to speak over you.
Awhile back, I setup a new blog to help people learn how to hear God more clearly called My Journey with God.
Prayer: Father, help me hear your voice. Help me to turn off the things of this world, and tune in my spiritual ears.
How to choose between peace and panic
Last week, I shared a message entitled “Choosing who you will serve”, describing how you must choose which master you will serve. If you obey the commands of fear, then fear will be your master, but if you choose to obey God, then he will be your Master.
This week, I want to share how you can choose to obey God rather than fear.
Let me start with one of the Ten Commandments: “You must never worship or bow down to [other gods], for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God who will not share your affection with any other god!” (Exodus 20:5).
For years, you may have bowed down the god of fear. Has irrational fear ever commanded you, “Don’t go there”, and you obey willingly? Has fear every whispered into your ear, This must be a very serious disease. Surely you will die from this. Or how about this one:You’ve done some really bad things. You can’t go to God now. He’s mad at you.
So, where do you start? You start with repentance. Repentance is confessing your obedience to fear as wrong and then choosing to do the right thing. Repentance is action. You must choose to do the right thing and then follow through with action.
“But, I don’t feel very strong,” you may say. “If God will just give me the strength and courage, then I can overcome this fear.” Here’s where the problem lies. Courage is not the absence of fear. Courage is how you respond while experiencing fear.
More than likely, you will never “feel” strong when it comes to fear. If you did feel strong, then there would be nothing to fear, and this wouldn’t be an issue.
Here’s the key: no matter how you feel, choose to follow God and not the fear. God promises you that if you will make the choice to follow him and trust him with all of your heart, even in the midst of fear, then he will strengthen you.
“The LORD who created you says: ‘Do not be afraid, for I have ransomed you. I have called you by name; you are mine. When you go through deep waters and great trouble, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown! When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up; the flames will not consume you. For I am the LORD, your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior’” (Isaiah 43:1b-3c).
“God is our refuge and strength, always ready to help in times of trouble” (Psalm 46:1).
If you would like to make this choice to follow God instead of fear, pray this prayer:“Father, I have obeyed the voice of fear and it has controlled my life for too long. I want to follow you. I want to obey your voice. Today, I repent for my idolatry–for bowing down to the god of fear. I confess it to you as wrong, and I ask you in Jesus’ name to forgive me for these wrong choices. Lord Jesus, come into my life and give me strength. Today, I choose to obey your voice. I won’t obey my feelings, if they are contrary to what you want. I will step forth in faith, trusting you to take care of me, trusting you to give me strength. No matter what happens, I will trust you, because I know you love me. Father, I ask these things in the name of your Son, Jesus Christ. Amen.”
Choosing Panic or Peace
It has been years since I’ve experienced a full-blown panic attack. Having lived most of my life in fear and panic, this new season in my life is wonderful and peaceful. What used to consume my thoughts minute-upon-minute now occasionally crosses my mind every once and awhile. I no longer live my life in the world of “what ifs”.
So, what did I do? How did I overcome a life-long battle of fear? What steps did I take?
All of my years of fear and panic came to pivotal point one night at 3 in the morning. I had drifted off to sleep like any other night, but I awoke with my heart racing and my mind spinning. These were the classical symptoms of a nighttime panic attack, or night terror. Typically, the medication I was taken would have kept my asleep, but I had tapered off all medication with the help of my doctor a couple of months earlier. I didn’t have anything to numb the pain.
As I lie there, bracing myself for the worst, a scripture came to mind: “For you are a slave to whatever controls you” (2 Peter 2:19b). In the past, as the panic would hit with all its force, I would jump out of bed and get out of the room as fast as I can. That was my typical response. But as the waves of panic began cresting in my mind that night, I made a choice–I will not obey the fear. I will not respond to the fearful thoughts consuming my mind.
Was it an easy choice? No. It was the hardest choice I’ve ever had to make. My body began quivering and shaking with fear. I wondered at one point if I would wake my wife with the terrible trembling I was experiencing. I lay there experiencing the full grunt of the fear. Everything in me wanted to run. Everything in me wanted to fight. But I chose that night not give in to the fear.
“Don’t you realize that whatever you choose to obey becomes your master? You can choose sin, which leads to death, or you can choose to obey God and receive his approval” (Romans 6:16).
Most attacks for me lasted less than a minute. The episode that night went on for an hour–my body trembling, my mind racing. It seemed like it was never going to end, but it did. I was able to go back to sleep and wake to a new morning filled with hope and courage.
That night, something happened in me. I came to the realization that I did not have to obey the fear, no matter how terrifying and scary it may seem. I was not going to be a slave to fear, for you are a slave to whatever controls you. Did the fear continue to plague my mind? Yes, occasionally. Did I give in to fear? No, I would not. I could not, because if I gave in to it, then it would become my master again, and I did not want fear to be my master.
Slowly over time, the attacks of fear have lessened. Occasionally, I experience “zaps of adrenaline”, as I call them, but I don’t respond to them. I don’t listen to the threats of fear anymore.
How can you do this? How can you choose not to obey fear? It starts by choosing something bigger than fear to obey. That night, as I lay there trembling and shaking with fear, I prayed, “Father, I choose tonight not to obey to the fear. Rather, I choose to obey you. Give me your strength. Fill me with your mercy and grace. It is only through your strength that I can overcome this fear. Apart from Jesus, I can do nothing.”
I really believe with all of my heart that many people reading this message can find freedom and peace from fear by choosing to obey God rather than fear. I don’t say this because I think it’s a good idea. I say this because I have experienced freedom firsthand. It works. It‚s real. With God, all things are possible.
“Choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve” (Joshua 24:15b).
Prayer: Father, today, I choose to obey you and not the fear. I will not obey the commands of fear anymore. I can do this in Christ, who gives me strength.
Chasing your dreams
This week marks a very special week in my life, and it’s because of what God has done in my life in the area of panic and fear.
As most of you know, my early life was crippled by fear and panic. It often hindered my daily life, and crushed my hopes and dreams for the future. But almost 10 years ago, God did an amazing work in my life, and today I am free from panic attacks and crippling fear.
Being free from fear has opened up a world of possibilities for me. The biggest was my dream to make movies. In the late 90’s, I started dabbling in media, making home movies and learning how to edit and produce short films.
Over a period of 10 years, I learned more about the production industry while working full time in my cubicle job. My passion for media grew quickly and eventually led me to resign my corporate job in 2005 to pursue my dream of owning my own production company.
Even that experience of resigning a cushy, corporate job with its steady income and benefits to chase a dream of owning my own company was quite the fear hurdle to overcome, but with the encouragement and blessing from my wife, we did it.
In the summer of 2006, my passion for movies had reached an all-time high, and I was ready to chase that dream and make a movie. At first, I was going to try and write the script myself, but it’s hard to write well. So, for my first film, I decided to find a script and just get a movie made so I can learn from the experience.
Instead of producing a faith-based movie (as I did with my short films), I decided to go the commercial route and produce a mystery thriller, whodunit film, to see if I could generate a profit for an indie film–a rarity in today’s market.
Later in 2006, while developing this movie project, I was having coffee with a friend of mine who loved the passion in me and said, “Russ, I want to fund the whole movie.” It was obvious that God was helping me chase my dreams. Immediately, we were up and running with production scheduled a few months later.
In early 2007, we spent 18 busy days shooting my first feature film, Fissure. Then, I spent that summer editing the film. Later that year, we finished up the music, sound and special effects. And, in 2008, we had our world premiere at the AFI Dallas film festival. Shortly after that, we were picked up for distribution–again, another rarity for indie films.
This summer on August 11th, we will release our feature film, Fissure. And starting June 15th, we will start posting webisodes of the movie online at Fissure.TV. In the meantime, you can watch some behind-the-scenes clips from the movie at Fissure.TV, including an interview of myself talking about the experience.
I wanted to share this story to encourage you. How many of you have had your dreams crushed by the weight of fear and panic and doubt? How many times have you stepped out and been pushed back down by fear? You see, fear has a way of crippling our dreams. That’s the tactic of the enemy. Many of our dreams have been planted in our hearts by God. And the enemy knows that by keeping us from our dreams, he is keeping us from our destiny.
Today, be encouraged that you can overcome your fear, chase dreams and pursue what God is calling you to do.
Prayer: Father, for years, I have been defeated by fear. My dreams have been buried for so long. Today, I ask you to rekindle your dreams in me. Help me see them clearly that I may begin walking them out in the strength of Christ.
All Bark and No Bite – Spiritual Warfare
A few years ago, we got a new puppy–a golden retriever. Full grown, these dogs can be quite large, anywhere between 80 to 120 pounds. But at 6 weeks old, Ginger was pretty small when we picked her up.
Keesha–the much older and wiser dog of the home–wasn’t much larger than the new little pup. Ginger’s curiosity quickly began to threaten Keesha’s little world. As the adventurous, young pup ventured into unwelcome territory, Keesha would immediately reveal her teeth and start to growl. If she got too close, Keesha would bark and even snap at her, but never bite her.
Initially, Ginger was quite intimidated. At the hint of Keesha’s threatening growl, the little pup would submissively roll over onto her back showing Keesha that she didn’t want any trouble. Two months later, however, Keesha still shows her teeth, barks and even snaps, but Ginger now knows that Keesha is all bark and no bite.
I share this story for one reason–fear is the same way. Fear, like Keesha, can show its fierce teeth, bark viciously and sometimes even snap at you. But, fear is all bark and no bite.
For the longest time, I would immediately rollover and cower at the first growl of fear. I would avoid a particular situation or skirt around an area that I knew was a threat. Soon, my world became smaller and smaller.
Unlike Ginger, who quickly recognized that her fear was baseless, I continued giving way to consuming fear. The growl, too loud. The threat, too real. But in answer to prayer, God started to show me just how unfounded my fear was, and how much I could trust him through those terrifying times.
Today, fear stills growls, roars and shows its ugly teeth attempting to scare me, but like Ginger, I now know that it’s all bark and no bite. By the grace and strength of God, I no longer give way to that fear.
erbium doped fiber amplifier“Be careful! Watch out for attacks from the Devil, your great enemy. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for some victim to devour. Take a firm stand against him, and be strong in your faith. Remember that your Christian brothers and sisters all over the world are going through the same kind of suffering you are” (1 Peter 5:8-9).
Prayer: Father, for too long, I’ve listened to the bark of fear. I’ve cowered, rolled over onto my back and gave in to roaring of the enemy. Father, I’m so tired of giving into this fear. Give me your strength to rise above the fear. Give me courage to press through. Help me to know that fear is all bark and no bite, and that I can trust you with all of my heart. With your strength, I choose today to no longer give in to fear. No matter how strong the growl sounds or how fierce the teeth look, I will not cower. In your strength, we will overcome. Lord, I ask all of these things in the name of Jesus. Amen!