Ever had a debilitating fear? One that stopped you in your tracks and made you renege and take things back? Ones that stopped you cold and made you walk back?
Me too. Many times. I’ve chickened out because of things other people have said, despite knowing the truth. I’ve lost things and people and opportunities to fear. I’ve gone up to a moment fearless and courageous and ready to fight, and then back down when it mattered most to go forward. Sometimes, I make a plan and never follow through with it, last minute.
Why?
Why does fear plague us like this? What is so powerful about fear that we lose every sense of truth and hope and confidence?
Well, satan’s pretty good at that, isn’t he? Whispering all the doubts into your mind; using other people’s words and doubts to do the same. Twisting everything into believable lies that spin your head. And, when the time comes, and you face those walls of impossibility, you turn to your God who doesn’t give you a spirit of fear and you say, “But, God… Look!” I know I’ve done that.
But I want to kind of pull from the previous article I wrote and say this: “Even our fears play into God’s Plan.”
God doesn’t leave any stone unturned when it comes to his story. He is the intimate creator of every moment in every life across every crevice of his creation. And nothing can happen outside of His walls of Perfection.
Our humanity can only happen within the walls of God’s Perfection.
A.M.M.
Our imperfections can only happen within the walls of God’s Perfection.
Our fears can only align within the walls of God’s Perfection.
Nothing can stray outside of God’s perfect Plan. Do you really think God’s hands fumble in His authoring of His own Story? Do you think he is a cripple, that things can escape His grasp? Do you think God’s boundary lines are just suggestions? No, friends, God’s boundary lines are uncrossable–even by the devil!
“Hold up!” You say, “The devil doesn’t listen to God! And he’s the prince of this world; he practically runs everything down here!”
But that’s not true. He certainly wants you to believe that: to take the power of your God and allot it to him. He certainly wants you to think that he has more jurisdiction than God himself, because that helps his spread of fear… that spirit of fear that the devil loves to bestow and cause and perpetuate.
Even the devil’s “kingdom” lies within the boundary lines God set for it. “You can come this far and no farther.” God has commanded each and every little thing–including satan.
God isn’t appalled by things. He doesn’t get surprised. Satan can’t fool God! Satan can’t trip Him up or throw him for a loop! Satan has no such power. But oh, he sure wishes you’d think that he has power over your God–or even comes close as a match to him.
This week (and your whole life!) tell satan off when he comes in with those devilish lies and whispers. Say it now: “Away from me, satan!” or even a simple: “Go away, satan.”
These statements are acts of faith and God meets you there in those cries. I like to also whisper “Jesus” when I’m feeling afraid, to call him to me and ask him to be present–satan can’t stand in Jesus’ presence and his demons flee at the sight of Him.
“Be strong and take heart, all you who hope in the Lord.”
-Psalm 31:24
“For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.”
-2 Timothy 1:7
Popp!nTalk 