He has no code of conduct. There is no blow he will not take. He has no since of integrity. What better way to keep us from pursuing God than to overwhelm us with our greatest fears and doubts. Remember, "If I were your enemy, I'd magnify your fears, making them appear insurmountable, intimidating you with enough worries until avoiding them becomes your driving motivation. I would use anxiety to cripple you, to paralyze your, leaving you indecisive, clinging to safety and sameness, always on the defensive because of what might happen. When you hear the word faith, all I'd want you to hear is 'unnecessary risk'. (Page 105)" Have you hear that voice of fear?
Priscilla give us this Biblical parallel found in Exodus 14. The Israelites are literally backed into a corner with enemies quickly surrounding them. Behind them is the Red Sea. They are completely trapped! There is no escape. Yet, Moses encourages them this way "'Don’t be afraid. Just stand still and watch the Lord rescue you today. The Egyptians you see today will never be seen again. The Lord himself will fight for you. Just stay calm.'" (Exodus 14:13-14) What really struck me here was what Priscilla brought to my attention. He did not tell them not to feel fear. Rather he told them not to be consumed by it, to choose it. He instead told them to choose God.
Perhaps you have heard how this event ends. "Then Moses raised his hand over the sea, and the Lord opened up a path through the water with a strong east wind. The wind blew all that night, turning the seabed into dry land. So the people of Israel walked through the middle of the sea on dry ground, with walls of water on each side!" (Exodus 14:21-22) Once every Israelites safely arrived on the other side Moses raised his hand again, at God's direction, and the walls of water fell, destroying their enemy. They all reached the destiny God promised them.
If they had decided the risk was too high and allowed their fear to dominate they would have missed out on the great miracle God was about to preform. That is exactly why Satan tries to magnify our fears. He wants our fear to appear to tower over our God. He is the master of illusions. Fear is a fantastic tool to cripple us with, but it is no match for our great God!
Just thinking about this form of attack, fear might be stirring in you. Remember, its okay to be afraid. It is not okay to let it take the wheel. If you are feeling this, please, realize Satan is doing this because he doesn't want you to accomplish what God has in your future. He doesn't want you to see the beauty and blessing on the other side. You are a threat to him NOT the other way around. Also remember that fear is not from God. We know that to be true from reading 2 Timothy 1:7. He has equipped us with the Spirit power, love and self-discipline. The spirit of God is not cowardly and fearful but strong and courageous! (Deuteronomy 31:6) "Fear is the antithesis of faith. And faith is what allows you to step food on the soil of your destiny (Page 113)." "Prayer is the difference maker (Page 114)"
I used to be crippled by anxiety. I am naturally an introvert. I would much rather keep to myself. I can really admire the life of a hermit. My anxiety, for many years, literally kept me up at night. My mind would race and wonder. I would recall things from the past that brought up insecurities and embarrassment. Mostly worrying about what other people thought. I would also be afraid of the next day or the days to come. Everything was too far gone or uncertain. There was no going back and I would rather not go forward.
My primary fear was social anxiety. I'm here today to tell you that when I came back to Christ a few years ago I prayed for help overcoming this crippling feeling. I let fear be more than a feeling. I let it consume me and I realized that was not good and not from God (James 1:17). I prayed God would remove my anxiety. This is completely true. God saved me from crippling fear.
I am still an introvert. I would rather stay home or be in familiar company, but I no longer let my fear take control. At times I am tempted to be a hermit. Some time long term but more often short term. However, I now know I can face my fear by the grace of God. I will not let my social fear stop me from allowing God to use me. I will not become the hermit I admire so much.
Even here, on this blog or my Facebook page I often feel my social anxiety arise. I am tempted to worry about what others think or what I didn't say just right. I am human and the words of mine you read are not perfect. I am imperfect. I make mistakes, but I want you to see them. I want you to know God can use a severely flawed person like me, like you!
Satan doesn't want me to ignore his intimidation. He wants me to say this blog is an "unnecessary risk" but I will not risk your relationship with Christ.If your salvation or deepened walk with Christ is the destiny of God's promise in my life I don't want to be inactive. I don't want to give up so I wont. I welcome your prayers because I know Satan will try harder to stop me the more of an impact God makes through me. That is what he does. He will keep trying.
Instead of sharing my own words of prayer today, I wand to share with you what I found in the Bible during my prayer against this strategy of Satan. Psalms 91. In my New American Standard Bible this passage is titled "Security of the One Who Trusts the Lord". I am going to close on this note from the New Living Translation:
Psalm 91
1 Those who live in the shelter of the Most High
will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty.
will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty.
2 This I declare about the Lord:
He alone is my refuge, my place of safety;
he is my God, and I trust him.
3 For he will rescue you from every trap
and protect you from deadly disease.
4 He will cover you with his feathers.
He will shelter you with his wings.
His faithful promises are your armor and protection.
5 Do not be afraid of the terrors of the night,
nor the arrow that flies in the day.
6 Do not dread the disease that stalks in darkness,
nor the disaster that strikes at midday.
7 Though a thousand fall at your side,
though ten thousand are dying around you,
these evils will not touch you.
8 Just open your eyes,
and see how the wicked are punished.
9 If you make the Lord your refuge,
if you make the Most High your shelter,
if you make the Most High your shelter,
10 no evil will conquer you;
no plague will come near your home.
11 For he will order his angels
to protect you wherever you go.
12 They will hold you up with their hands
so you won’t even hurt your foot on a stone.
13 You will trample upon lions and cobras;
you will crush fierce lions and serpents under your feet!
14 The Lord says, “I will rescue those who love me.
I will protect those who trust in my name.
I will protect those who trust in my name.
15 When they call on me, I will answer;
I will be with them in trouble.
I will rescue and honor them.
16 I will reward them with a long life
and give them my salvation.”
I found that very comforting and I hope you do as well. Our enemy does not stand a chance against our God!
God talks about fear over 300 times in the Bible. So, I encourage you to dig in and find what is true! Here is a place to start:
Priscilla's Bible Verses Against Fear
I have listed these links to be from the New Living Translation (NLT), but I would like to encourage you to read them in other versions as well. Personally, my top choices for comparison are Holman's Christian Study Bible (HCBS), New American Standard Bible (NASB), New International Version (NIV). I find NLT to be the most accessible translation for our modern day language. However, sometimes it can be a little watered down from the meatier versions. Paralleling multiple translations really helps me get a stronger grasp of the message at hand. I also find different points jump out to me in different translations. I hope that encourages and empowers you as you pursue a deeper relationship with Jesus.
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