Today we are all facing a giant. A giant of epidemic proportion with uncertainty crouching in every corner. We can’t let fear destroy us, but how do we fight something we can’t even see? How do we fight something that threatens to kill us or destroy our way of living?
It’s easy to have faith when all is quasi-calm, but what about when chaos covers the earth? What do you do when:
- fear and uncertainty have become your constant companions?
- you don’t know how you’ll pay your bills?
- the recent stay-at-home orders have filled you with dread for the future?
- loneliness has replaced the job you really didn’t like, and now you wished you had a reason to set your alarm?
A crisis has a way of bringing our beliefs to the surface. The good news is that if you don’t like the emotions that are rising up, you can change them by renewing your mind.
That’s what David did. A giant named Goliath threatened his nation, but David refused to allow the peril of his current circumstances to dictate his response.
When David brought lunch to his brothers on the battle field and found out that Goliath wanted to take his people captive, instead of cowardice, courage rose up. Confidence combatted the enemy’s threats. Listen to his words: “The Lord who delivered me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine.”
What a powerful response. All of the trained warriors were trembling in fear and had given up, but a shepherd boy with no battle experience had a different mindset.
In his book, Experiencing God, Henry Blackaby writes,
What you believe about God will determine what you do and how you live.
Blackaby and David never met, but the little shepherd boy already knew this principle: the battle begins in our brain.
David kept his focus on God’s truth, not the illusion of truth that his circumstances presented. He renewed his mind by remembering what God had done for him in the past. God had delivered him before and that gave him assurance that God would do it again.
So let me ask you this? What has God delivered you from?
Bring that to the forefront of your mind. Meditate on it. Remind yourself of His faithfulness.
Proverbs 23:7 says that as you think in your heart, so shall you be. In other words, your mind manufactures emotions based on the thoughts you think.
Do you realize that fear and faith have the same vision? They both believe in something that hasn’t happened yet. So what would you rather think about? Something that will produce peace or something that will produce anxiety?
Can I encourage you to set your mind on things above? The name of Jesus is a strong tower. His name is powerful. And I believe He is faithful and He will get you through this. He is your Deliverer!
Share Your God Experience
When David went to fight the giant, Saul gave him his armor, but it weighed too much for him. David couldn’t move around in it. Instead, he chose to use what was familiar to him—five smooth stones that he had experience using.
Your God experiences are powerful weapons to defeat fear. It’s important that you remember them and remind yourself of how God’s rescued you before.
In fact, can I ask you a favor? Will you share one of your experiences here so we can encourage one another? You’ll be blessed by sharing and others will be encouraged to hear! Ready? Go!
My miracle happened in 1997. It was January and I had a new baby girl, 2 months old, as well as a young boy around 2 1/2 years old. I started having a lot of pain in my lower belly. I went to our local emergency room for am exam. They watched me for a couple hours but didn’t know how to help me. They told me to go home and rest. They encouraged me to see my gynecologist the next day if I was still in pain. I was still in pain the next day, so I went to my doctor. I had both my babies with me. My doctor became concerned and told me to head to the hospital for surgery. My wonderful mother in law came to watch my babies, and we called my husband who worked about 1 hour away. The doctor preformed the surgery taking out my appendix just before it burst sending toxins into my body. I was able to leave the hospital the next day healthy and without the pain from before. I thank my God for inspiring my doctor to act quickly saving me from devastating consequences. We are in God’s hands and he lives and loves us!
Thank you for sharing your precious story. How beautiful that God protected you! Doctors have wisdom, but God’s wisdom is SUPREME!
I remind myself that God is Omnipotent, ( all powerful ), able to do anything. Omnipresent,( present everywhere at the same time),Omniscient, ( God knows everything).When I start to worry or become fearful , I remember that I am incapable of being all powerful, I certainly cannot be everywhere at the same time .There have been times when I have appeared for appointments on the wrong date ,”as for knowing all things, my mother used to say ” what she did not know, fill great oceans.
One of my favorite scriptures is Philippians 4:19, And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus .NKJ.
I’m laughing at your mother’s comments:) And, yes, Phil 4:19 is one of my favs too. I quote it almost weekly at some point!
2012 was a new beginning for me. I was starting college and into my first semester while raising a one year son. I soon realized my health was at question. I had issues previous to me giving birth. I just wasn’t privy to exactly what was actually going on in my body. I worked in a bank and customers would comment, “oh, how far along are you, 6-7 months?” I would always reply, “I just had a baby!” I soon made an appointment with my OB/GYN. She had delivered all 4 of my children. We both decided it was a good time to get my tubes tied. I soon went in to get the procedure done. She noticed my one ovary was quite enlarged to the point of touching my other ovary. She assured me it was endometriosis and not cancerous. She also stated, I wouldn’t need anything, as this would either get worse or stay the same. As time was passing by, my health got worse and the large bulge on my pelvic/abdomen was growing and hard as a rock. Once my son was just over a year old, i decided to seek a 2nd opinion from a OB/GYN. The moment the doctor did the pelvic exam, he immediately sent me for testing and ultrasound. He stated, after he received all results he would notify me if this needed emergency attention. Soon enough, next day, I was told I need emergency surgery…a hysterectomy. I approved to undergo surgery. That was the first time I was seriously scared. I had 4 children at home who needed me. I had to put a plan in place if this happens to go towards “cancer” diagnosis. I did lots of praying for my children and for a positive outcome after surgery. A week later, Surgery was a success. I woke up with about a 6 inch incision from my belly button to my pelvis. The surgeon/doctor was by my side with pictures. These pictures were of the massive tumor he removed. He stated, he had a huge mess he cleaned up during my hysterectomy but everything at this point went extremely well. I asked the question, “Is it cancer?!!” He replied, “No, you are an extremely lucky and rare case with the size of pelvic mass I removed.” He then began to explain what exactly it was. This was rare and was a first for him to experience first hand. What he found was an Ovarian Teratoma (dermoid cyst). He explained how lucky I was that it never ruptured with the growth and size the tumor got. It would of been toxic and life threatening. The fluid inside the tumor was as toxic as your appendix bursting. I would of went into sepsis, if ever that happened. The tumor was filled with hair and tissue. i had this my entire life. It started growing as I became a woman. My hormonal changes and having children fed the growth, like a parasitic twin. In that moment, I was so relieved and grateful. I felt my prayers were answered. God is the one to thank in all of this. He made this possible. He gave me a renewed belief in what he is capable of. Miracles.
What an incredible testimony of God’s faithfulness! And what a legacy to leave your children, that He rescued their mother!
My son was killed in 2008 it was the worst pain I’ve ever experienced . I was in so much pain and developed so much fear that it became unbearable. I had a significant other living with me that wasn’t supportive so I put him out which left me to grieve and deal with my loss alone so I thought . I lost my job shortly after and felt like I had nothing left . I felt the presence of death in my house so much so that I wouldn’t even get off the couch to sleep in my own bed at night nor would I go to the bathroom at night because I was so afraid (of what I don’t know) . I laid on the couch in a fetal position and called on God because at that point I knew I couldn’t go on like this and didn’t want to . God reminded me of all the challenges and obstacles that he had brought me through including being homeless and on drugs in the past.
So each night and through out the day I cried like I’ve never cried before and prayed to God to give me the strength and courage to get through this and as I continued to pray my fears were removed , I was abke time get off the couch and go sleep in my own bed God blessed me with the finances needed to cover my bills and some . I enrolled in truck driving school and started a new career .Praise Be to God for showing me that he has control over all things and can deliver through even the toughest of times.
I had an abusive spouse, he would always put me down, nothing seemed to work. I had some issues at work and when I would speak to him about it he would tell me to quit. I decided to take control of my life and I only asked God to hold my hand and walk with me, things started to move.
One of the worst things he told me was that I was gynecologically cold. This hurt me to the core but I just laughed at him and told him that my God was greater than his accusations. We parted ways 1 month later and I have never regretted anything
When others are unfaithful, God promises to redeem the time. I’m thankful He did for you.
Lisa, I’m so sorry for your loss! The death of a child is excruciating. But oh, how thankful I am that God saw you through it! Thank you for your transparency in sharing your story of overcoming grief and finding God’s grace to overcome!
When 2020 came in, I asked God to give me a word to hold on for the whole year. He gave me this,
“‘Then this shall be the sign for you: you will eat this year what grows of itself, in the second year what springs from the same, and in the third year sow, reap, plant vineyards, and eat their fruit.”
2 Kings 19:29
The revelation from the message says to me that this year, i will eat food that grows even without my effort. I had a thought of wild plants and crops, something that we eat if we have no budget for food.At first I find it hard to accept that my year is not fruitful especially I manage a small business for living. Maybe bad luck or low income.
But God spoke to me again,
“I mean, this year your life will be simple yet I will make sure you will eat without your effort”
I realised all of a sudden how blessed I am! That the second and third year after this is even more fruitful and I will surely enjoy!
Then pandemic came, He never fail on His words. I almost have zero income, but I praise God we still eat 3x a day plus snack, coffee…
we are safe and everything we need always come on time.
Even our grumpy neighbour who hates us knocked to our door to give friend chicken that’s enough for the whole day 😊
Tomorrow I don’t know what to cook for my children, but I still praise God and excited to witness another miracle.
How faithful He is to tell you in advance what His plans are. You can rest during this crisis knowing that He will provide. And the testimony you’ll have of telling others how He provided when you couldn’t will encourage others and grow your faith!