2Ti 1:7 For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.
Many Christians have what they call ” life Scriptures.” Particular Scriptures that have been most applicable to them in their lives and in their situations and these Scriptures have grounded them and kept them on the narrow path. The above Scripture is one on mine. Fear can so dominate out lives in all its many shades and hews. It fuels anxiety and stress. Fear is gasoline poured upon your troubles. Troubles is certainly something that we shall always have, but fear is unnecessary. And by that I mean living in fear. Slavish fear, fear that binds us hand and feet. Fear that captures the mind and overwhelms it, rendering us captive. How do you know if you have been captured? Do you have a sound mind? What does that mean? Well, part of the meaning is discipline and self-control. Have your thoughts taken hold of you? Can you ” turn them off?” Can you sleep at night? Do you ” walk the floor?” These are all symptoms of not having a ” sound mind.”
Back in the older days, it was referred to as having a quiet mind. Oh the beauty of a quiet peaceful mind. It’s in this quiet that we can hear the small still voice of God. The enemy seeks to take this quiet from us so that we cannot hear the lord. He seeks to have our minds like the sound of many waters, roaring seas, a din that cannot be stopped. It is vital, absolutely vital, that brothers and sisters have a quiet mind. The fear that fuels all else is not of God. First it comes from our flesh and then is magnified by the enemy. Distraction is the order of the day. You have to confront your fears in the power of God. He has given you power over it. In the yielding of our lives to Him we have been given a spirit of power and love and self-control. Make no mistake, this is an enemy that will shadow you all the days of your life. You have to be vigilant and put on all the armor of God to do battle with the enemy of God and the enemy of your soul.
There is a reward to those who overcome, there is a reward to those who endure, there is a reward to those persevere. Stand up brothers and sisters. I know you may have fallen down, maybe even multiple times to the enemy which is fear, but stand up. Count all things as loss for Christ and to be found in Him. It will not come naturally, in fact quite the opposite, which is why it is a battle. But be of good cheer, for we worship a supernatural God who hears the cries of His people and who is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him and His presence. Who, with discipline and single-mindedness continue to seek out their God no matter what situations come along. Do not condemn yourself if you have despaired. The great men of Scriptures despaired. The levels and the depths of your despair is the height and the measure of your trial. Stand up, stand strong, stand in the power of God, stand in the evil day.
It is not the falling down that is the measure of the man or woman of God, it is the rising up. Rise up today from your bed of fear and anxiety and cast all your cares upon Him. Know that we can lose everything in this world but we cannot be taken out of His hand. You may not feel His presence today, but He stands with you and goes before you. You may not feel the heat of the sun at night but nevertheless it is there and come the dawn the sun shall rise. This may be a dark time in your life but this I want you to know, the sun will rise again, there shall be a dawn that follows the darkness of your situation. Persevere saints and one day soon we shall gather before the throne and praise together. The Bible tells us to put on a garment of praise for a Spirit of heaviness and that the Lord inhabits the praise of His people. Begin to praise the Living God today in a sacrifice of worship and wait and see the fire of God fall upon that sacrifice………bro Frank |
