Even though the fig trees have no blossoms,
and there are no grapes on the vine;

Even though the olive crop fails,
and the fields lie empty and barren;

Even though the flocks die in the fields,
and the cattle barns are empty,

Yet I will rejoice in the LORD!
I will be joyful in the God of my salvation.
The Sovereign LORD is my strength!

He will make me as surefooted as a deer and
Bring me safely over the mountains.

Habakkuk 3:17-19a

News of Jericho and Ai had spread throughout the land. The surrounding kings and people had also heard of the Lord’s miracles. They knew this was to be more than a physical battle.

The Hivites in Gibeon were among the local people who knew about these Hebrews. They were greatly afraid of Joshua for they knew that the children of Israel had come to take the land and destroy the inhabitants.

The Hivites knew they couldn’t defeat Joshua and his God, so they formulated another plan. They donned some worn-out sacks for clothes. They loaded their oldest donkeys with moldy bread and old wineskins, and went to meet with Joshua.

“We have come from a distant country. Please make a treaty with us,” pleaded the Hivites in disguise.

They had the appearance of foreigners from a distant land. Still, the men of Israel questioned them, “Perhaps you live near us. How then can we make a treaty with you?”

The delegation from Gibeon continued the masquerade. “This bread of ours was warm on the day we left. But see how dry and moldy it is now. And these wineskins that we filled were new, but see how cracked they are. And our clothes and sandals are worn out by the very long journey” (Joshua 9, paraphrased).

“The men of Israel sampled their provisions but did not inquire of the LORD” (Joshua 9:14).

They were duped. They fell for the moldy-bread-and-old-wineskin trick. They signed a treaty, thus disobeying God’s command to destroy the Hivites.

Fear is like that. The wolf comes to you in sheep’s clothing, bearing bogus gifts, creating a false impression. It has a way of making things seem one way when they are really another. It’s a powerful bluff.

The men of Israel really only made one mistake. Did you catch it? They “did not inquire of the Lord.”

God is ready for you to inquire of him. He wants to guide and lead you and expose the facade of fear.

Prayer: Father, enable me to recognize fear when it first approaches. Show me how to respond when I face fearful situations. Give me strength to stand, courage to continue, and grant me victory over fear.

The children of Israel had just defeated Jericho miraculously. Confidence was high. Morale was peaking. This new generation of warriors just experienced their first victory through God’s wall-crumbling power.

The next battle in their path was the small city of Ai. After their reconnaissance, the spies advised Joshua to send out only a few men. It was an easy victory… or so they thought.

However, when they attacked the city, the Israelites were chased into retreat and defeated. The soldiers came back to Joshua beaten and bloodied. They couldn’t overtake Ai. God was not with them.

Israel lost courage. Confusion and doubts began to rise up in their minds. Confidence hit an all time low.

What Joshua didn’t realize was that someone in the camp had disobeyed God. Against God’s command, Achan kept some of the spoil from the Jericho victory for himself and buried it under his tent. That disobedience kept the mighty men of Israel from defeating the small city of Ai.

After dealing with the sin, the Lord gave Joshua a new plan to defeat the small, but powerful city. With God’s help, the Israelites destroyed Ai.

When I read this story, it reminds me of my own journey into the Promised Land of peace. One day, I experienced a miraculous victory over panic attacks. I trusted the Lord and rested through the attack. My confidence ran high. I was walking proud.

Like Joshua, though, I headed out presumptuously into the next day. Panic again pounced on my mind. Dismay and doubts came crashing in. Where’s God? I thought. Why isn’t this working like it did yesterday?

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God should be our guide through each battle we face regarding panic and fear. If we remove all sin from our lives, seek his guidance and obey his instructions, we will be victorious. We will take the Promised Land of peace.

“Give us aid against the enemy, for the help of man is worthless. With God we will gain the victory, and he will trample down our enemies” (Psalm 60:11-12).

Prayer: Father, thank you for every victory I have experienced in the past because I know they came only through you. Reveal to me the times when I “went out on my own strength” and failed. Teach me how to seek your guidance and direction each morning as I face the battlefield for that day.

When the children of Israel were ready to enter the Promised Land, Joshua led them across the Jordan River to a city outside of Jericho.

Jericho–with its mammoth wall–stood before them. This would be their first battle. It looked like a lop-sided fight as a bunch of inexperienced Israelites headed into battle against a strong fortress of fighters.

As Joshua sought God on how to fight this battle, an angel with his sword drawn appeared before him. He gave Joshua specific instructions on how to fight. He explained that the people should walk around the city once a day for seven days. On the seventh day, they should walk around seven times. Afterwards, they should blow their trumpets and shout.

In faith, the Israelites walked quietly around the city just as Joshua commanded them to do. They couldn’t say a word while marching. Then, on the seventh day after the seventh trip around, the people shouted and sounded the trumpets.

“When the trumpets sounded, the people shouted, and at the sound of the trumpet, when the people gave a loud shout, the wall collapsed; so every man charged straight in, and they took the city” (Joshua 6:20).

Many times, I feel like the Israelites. No experience. No strength. No way I can fight against that fortress of fear. It’s just too tall, too big.

The next time that tall wall of fear stands before you, call out to God. Ask him to show you how to bring those walls down.

Maybe it will be a shout of praise.
Maybe it will be a song in your heart.
Maybe it will be a confidence.

Whatever God tells you to do, do it. When you do, the walls will come tumbling down.

Prayer: Father, I am so weak and inexperienced. I cannot tear down this wall of fear on my own. Tell me what to do as I stand against my enemies. Give me the faith to wait on you and trust your promises.

“For this people’s heart has become calloused; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts and turn, and I would heal them” (Acts 28:27).

Our heart can be as tender as a rose bud or as hard as a cannonball. You are the one who determines how hard or soft your heart will be. When the Holy Spirit begins to “speak” to your conscience, how you respond determines the hardness of your heart.

Do you attempt to justify your actions against a person who has wronged you or wronged someone you love? “Well, you don’t know what she did.” Do you push the voice of God aside? “Well, she deserved it. She shouldn’t have been nosing around in other people’s business.”

When you constantly ignore that whisper of conviction, you will come to a point where you can hear it no more. Your heart will become calloused in that area, and your future may be filled with bitterness and hatred.

Too many people harden their heart to the voice of God. Gentle guidance from the Spirit of God is stuffed away or pushed aside for the sake of our will. We have our agendas, our plans, our ambitions at stake. We dare not listen to God because he might tell us to do something we don’t want to do. We question God’s love for us.

Whether your heart is soft or surrounded by a brick wall, God will break through. The more tender your heart, the more easily God can get through to you. If your heart is hard, God may have to use some extreme measures to penetrate, but he will get through. Let him break down those barriers that have kept him out of your heart.

“I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh” (Ezekiel 36:26).

Prayer: Father, speak to me through your Holy Spirit. Reveal any hardness of my heart and soften any calluses that may have formed. Finally, give me the strength to act upon my conscience, upon your leading.

It was dark that night on the Sea of Galilee. Jesus told his disciples to take the boat out. Then, Jesus came to them walking on the water. At first, they were frightened. But Jesus spoke to them and calmed their fears.

As soon as Peter saw that it was Jesus, he asked him, “Lord, if it’s you, tell me to come to you on the water” (Matthew 14:28). So Jesus called Peter to come to him. Peter’s faith must have been soaring. He climbed out of the boat and started walking on the water toward Jesus.

Can you imagine what must have been going through his mind? “I’m walking on water! This is incredible! I can’t wait to tell my friends about this. Who will believe me?” The joy and excitement of experiencing this miracle must have been overwhelming.

Then, something happened. His focused shifted. As he walked towards Jesus, something else caught his attention. The wind and waves churned around him. A storm was brewing. Peter started to worry. “Oh no. This is getting a little unstable. I don’t think I can do this anymore.” His water-walking faith quickly succumbed to water-walking fear.

“But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, ‘Lord, save me!’” (Matthew 14:30).

When those fearful thoughts came crashing in, Peter did something very important: he cried out to Jesus for help. Jesus reached down and pulled him up, and they walked back to the boat.

The next time you step out of your comfort zone, remember two things: don’t take your eyes off Jesus. If you do, you will only see the wind and waves of unstable circumstances, and your faith will falter.
Secondly, if you do start to sink, simply cry out, “Lord Jesus, save me!” He will reach down from heaven, pick you up and walk with you back to the safety of your boat. He will not let you drown.

Prayer: Father, help me to keep my eyes always on you, unshaken by the storms surrounding me. Thank you that when I do take my eyes off you and feel myself sinking, all I have to do is call on you and you will save me from my fears.

King Nebuchadnezzar built a large statue. It was ninety feet tall, nine feet wide and made of purest gold. The king then made the following decree: “As soon as you hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipes and all kinds of music, you must fall down and worship the image of gold that King Nebuchadnezzar has set up. Whoever does not fall down and worship will immediately be thrown into a blazing furnace” (Daniel 3:5,6).

Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego served God. They would not bow to any image the king had created. The king was furious and demanded that these young boys come before him. As they stood before the king, he told them directly, “When you hear the music, bow down!”

It was the king’s decree. It was the law. If they disobeyed, they were surely going to die. Listen carefully to their response:

“If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us from it, and he will rescue us from your hand, O king. But even if he does not, we want you to know, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up” (Daniel 3:17, 18).

Did you hear the faith of these young men? Minutes before their obvious execution, they declare, “…the God we serve is able to save us from it, and he will rescue us from your hand.” They did not bow to the king’s demand. They did not give in to fear. No matter what the consequences, they were going to trust God, even if it meant death.

Many times when fear strikes, we give in to the thoughts and lies that have plagued us for years. The prince of this world plays the music of fear in our minds. When we hear it, we simply bow down to the fear and allow it to control our lives.

I encourage you to declare that you will trust God no matter what the consequences. As God protected those three boys from the fire, so he will protect you. When you trust God with all your heart no matter what could happen, his peace will flood your soul.

Prayer: Father, I call upon you in my weakness and ask you to give me strength and courage–strength to stand against the music of fear, courage not to bow down to the enemy. I declare that I will trust you no matter what the consequences.

The man must have owed the king millions. The guards grabbed him one day while he was at work. They dragged him into the king’s court. He didn’t resist, for he knew why he was being summoned.

As he lay prostrate before the king, an attendant read a list of his debts. “Five and a half million dollars in taxes and penalties.” The amount sent chills up the man’s spine. He knew it was more than he could ever pay.

“Take this man, and throw him in jail,” ordered the king. “We will sell his land, his children and his wife to pay off his debt. Then, he will work as my slave for the rest of his life.”

The man began to weep. “Please be patient with me, king. I will pay back your debt. I love my family. Please do not take them away. I will do what it takes to pay you back.”

The king was moved with compassion by the man’s obvious cry for mercy. “Sir, I can see that your heart is broken. Today, let it be known that this man’s debt is canceled. Nothing shall be required of him. Send him home to his family. Sir, you are a free man.”

The man left for home free from his debts. As he crossed the street, he encountered one of his workers. In fact, this worker owed him 50 dollars. “Where’s my money? You’ve owed me 50 bucks for almost a year. I want it now!”

The poor servant cried out, “Oh master, I know I owe you this money. Please give me some time to pay you back.”

The man screamed, “No! I can’t wait any longer. Off to jail until you pay it all.”

One of the king’s workers saw all this, and was amazed at how this man reacted. Word got back to the king, and the king summoned this man back to his court. “Sir, I canceled your debt of millions, and now you hold someone captive for 50 measly dollars? You will be punished.” In anger the king turned him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed (Matthew 18:23-34).

Jesus told his followers, “This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother from your heart” (v. 35).

It should be obvious from this parable that unforgiveness can lead to torment and torture. It may not be physical, but it is a torture of the soul that many of us know. Is there someone in your life you haven’t forgiven?

If there is someone, ask God to show you how to release them. Forgiveness is a wonderful gift. We should share it with others.

Prayer: Father, forgive me of my sins as I forgive those who sin against me.

“Once you lived in the dark, but now the Lord has filled you with light. Live as children who have light. Light produces everything that is good, that has God’s approval, and that is true. Determine which things pleases the Lord. Have nothing to do with the useless works that darkness produces. Instead, expose them for what they are. It is shameful to talk about what some people do in secret. Light exposes the true character of everything because light makes everything easy to see. That’s why it says: Wake up, sleeper! Rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you. So then, be very careful how you live.”

“Delight yourself in the Lord, and he’ll give you the desires of your heart.