Tag: fear

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Don’t Wait, Part Two: Missing Out on the Promise

The Manna Chef

Sisters, if you missed part one, I encourage you to go back and read it.  We discovered that the people of Israel heard conflicting reports about their Promised Land.  Moses sent out spies to check on the land.  One spy, Caleb, returned with this report: “The land is amazing.  It’s all that God said it would be.  Yeah, there are some giants there, but we can beat them with God on our side.  Let’s go occupy our land!” 

But there was another report, one that wasn’t so positive.  That report said, “There’s no way we can get that land.  Those giants are huge, and we can’t beat them.  We’re like grasshoppers to them.  We’ll get devoured in that land.”  … So, guess whose report the people chose to believe?  Let me give you a hint, it wasn’t Caleb’s.  As a matter of fact, the people wanted to stone Joshua and Caleb!  They allowed fear to take the place of their promise.  And God took notice!

“How long will these people treat Me with contempt? Will they never believe Me, even after all the miraculous signs I have done among them?   I will disown them and destroy them with a plague.  Then I will make you [Moses] into a nation greater and mightier than they are!”  (Numbers 14:11-12 NLT)

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God Is Your Shield

The Manna Chef

This morning, I read Genesis 15:1b (ESV), “Fear not, Abram, I am your shield; your reward shall be very great.”  I then looked at Genesis 15:1 (AMP), “After these things the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision, saying, “Do not be afraid, Abram, I am your shield; Your reward [for obedience] shall be very great.”

I took a moment to really think about what it means to have the Lord as my Shield.  First, I thought about the shield of faith (part of the whole armor of God) that is mentioned in Ephesians 6:16 (AMP), “Above all, lift up the [protective] shield of faith with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.”  I have the responsibility to choose to lift up the shield of faith, above all, and that very shield can extinguish what the enemy throws at me.  How many times have felt like the blows were coming from every direction?  Use your shield, Sisters!  Why don’t we choose the armor of God daily when He promises results if we exercise our faith in Him?

Then I looked back at Genesis 15:1, where God told Abram, “You don’t have to be afraid because I am your shield.”  God is your Shield, Sisters.  Think about what that means.  The Lord is your Protector, and He is your ultimate Defense.  He covers you every day.  You need not even respond when others seek to attack your character, your job performance, your reputation, or even your name.  God is your Shield.  And sometimes that protection requires us to be hidden from ordinary observation.  (Read Psalm 91 when you have a moment.)  You don’t need to be afraid of the arrows of the enemy.  As a matter of fact, God can prevent those arrows from even reaching you. 

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Never Alone

The Manna Chef

God reminds us in Hebrews 13:5, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” It’s so important that you really hold on to that promise, because, let’s be honest, life can be difficult sometimes. The enemy wants you to be so overwhelmed that you believe God has left you and that you are all alone.

The enemy says things like:

  • “Nobody understands how you really feel anyway.”
  • “They don’t care about you; if they did, they would have done something to help you by now.”
  • “God doesn’t really love you, and He isn’t concerned about you for real. If He was, He wouldn’t allow you to go through something like this.”
  • “What’s the use of living right if all you do is struggle from one day to the next?”
  • “The people at church can’t help you anyway, so why even go?”
  • “God has more important things to do than to be concerned about your little problems.”
  • “Don’t call [any sister in Christ]. She has her own problems to deal with. You’ll just be a bother.”
  • “Nobody can help you anyway, so why even talk about it?”
  • “God has forgotten all about you.”

Sometimes we even add to his attack with our own thoughts:

  • “I deserve to be alone because of what I’ve done.”
  • “Maybe I’m just being punished, so I might as well deal with it.”
  • “I don’t need help; I can figure this out all by myself.”

Let me be really clear here: GOD WILL NEVER LEAVE YOU. He has always been with you, and He has always cared about you. Sisters, you matter to God! Let me say that again: YOU MATTER TO GOD!

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Unafraid

The Manna Chef

Recently, I was telling a dear friend about my Florida vacation with my husband last year.  There were many highlights, but one really stood out as I was recalling the events of our trip.  Honestly, I didn’t even realize how profound it was until she responded with amazement.

I had decided that what I really desired was to see was an alligator in the wild (which I did)!  My husband and I went on an airboat adventure, a first for us both, and what I witnessed left me in awe.  As we enjoyed the breeze and talked among the other guests, we noticed cows grazing on grass that was growing up from the marsh.  Cows right there in the water—the same marsh where alligators were swimming?!  I’d never seen cows in the water like that, and I was fascinated that they didn’t seem the least bit phased by the predators lurking around. 

As tourists do, we began to take pictures and flooded our captain with all kinds of questions.  He explained, “Oh, the cows aren’t afraid of the alligators because those cows are huge.  They don’t see the alligators of too much of a threat.  It would take so many alligators to harm even one of them, and the alligators don’t even approach the cows.  The cows just keep their young from coming out too far into the water.”  Mind. Blown!  I mean, think about it.  How could anything not be afraid of an alligator?

Well, the captain told us:

  1. The cows knew how big and strong they were.
  2. They knew the behavior of the alligators.
  3. The cows stayed in groups and shielded their young.

That got me thinking, of course.  Sisters, do we really know who we are (and Who we serve)?  Have we equipped ourselves with the Word of God so that we know how to prepare ourselves for any attack the enemy may try to bring? 

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This Time, You Might Have to Get Your Feet Wet

The Manna Chef

God is calling us to newer heights.  He is calling us to the unfamiliar and to uncharted territory.  This time, where you are headed may not look like what you have been used to, and it’s by design.  To go where you’ve never been you have to do what you’ve never done. 

Before God delivered the children out of Egypt, we know they became fearful and they grumbled.  But God was still faithful, and He moved in supernatural fashion for them. 

Exodus 14:13-16

13 And Moses said to the people, “Do not be afraid. Stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord, which He will accomplish for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall see again no more forever. 14 The Lord will fight for you, and you shall hold your peace.”

15 And the Lord said to Moses, “Why do you cry to Me? Tell the children of Israel to go forward. 16 But lift up your rod, and stretch out your hand over the sea and divide it. And the children of Israel shall go on dry ground through the midst of the sea.

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