“If I only knew God’s will about this, I’d do it.” Here’s the thing: we need to start with the premise that God isn’t trying to hide His will from us. God wants us to know His will and obey His will so that we can walk in His favor and live life more abundantly. God is not concealing His will from us in some kind of cosmic game of hide-and-seek. He wants us to know His will, so He gave us His written will and testament in the Bible. We will never know or understand God’s will if we don’t study what He has already given us.
WHEN WE ARE FEARFUL, GOD IS FAITHFUL
David played the fool, but it was just an act performed out of fear in an effort to get out of the trouble he walked into. If you have started down the wrong path out of fear, don’t keep walking. Stop! If we don’t put our foot on the brakes, the fear and the crazy can take control of us. It can take us further into the darkness until it becomes harder and harder to come back. The depression becomes worse. The fear grows into panic. The stress becomes overwhelming. The anxiety becomes debilitating. We cannot allow that to happen. Instead, cry out to Jesus!
Satan Can Hinder, But He Can’t Stop Us
We can have faith to move mountains, but that does not negate the fact that this is war; it is a struggle against spiritual opposition. Though the outcome is not in doubt, the fact remains that while we can always be victorious, there is no victory without a battle. Furthermore, in verse 18 of our text, Paul tells us that while Satan cannot defeat us, he can hinder us. How does Satan hinder Holy Spirit-baptized, faith-talking, and Bible-walking believers of Jesus Christ? Paul doesn’t tell us exactly how Satan hindered him. However, we can surmise some things from the Bible that hint at the ways Satan can hinder God’s people.
God Still Answers by Fire
Elijah was sitting on the top of a hill. He probably saw the soldiers coming from miles away, but he did not run or hide because he was not afraid. It’s true that Elijah had gone through a valley depression, but it is also true that he came out the other side of that valley and now he’s back on the mountain.
Victory Over Fear
Do not fear. God said, “Behold, all those who were incensed against you shall be ashamed and disgraced; they shall be as nothing, and those who strive with you shall perish” (v. 11). When life comes at us, we need to remember that God’s got this. It might take us a minute to steady ourselves and get past the initial wave of bad news, but God is there to hold us and help us overcome.
Christmas: Turning Fear to Cheer
In this life, we are often faced with unexpected circumstances and events that surprise us, catch us off-guard and initially cause some alarm. Regardless of how much faith we have, our first response is usually fear but if we remember that Jesus is with us, then fear can be destroyed where faith is employed.