Christians have a mortal enemy when it comes to stepping into the providence of God. It is called, FEAR. We have been so conditioned to live a life of servitude for a monthly ‘wage’ that it becomes a crutch of dependence our whole working lives. We are so dependant upon it that we look forward to that monthly payday and are overjoyed and have parties when we receive our stipend. We forget that our pay represents only a small portion of the money we have made for our employer. We sell our labour and knowledge for a pittance. It is time for Christians to step out in faith and live in the freedom of God. When Abram allowed fear to rule he found himself in Egypt and in trouble.
And there was a famine in the land: and Abram went down into Egypt to sojourn there; for the famine was grievous in the land.
And it came to pass, when he was come near to enter into Egypt, that he said unto Sarai his wife, Behold now, I know that thou art a fair woman to look upon:
Therefore it shall come to pass, when the Egyptians shall see thee, that they shall say, This is his wife: and they will kill me, but they will save thee alive.
(Gen. 12:10-12)
Fear led Peter to deny Jesus, not only once but three times. Fear chased Elijah into the desert to escape Jezebel. Fear keeps us from reaching and living in the glory God has for us. We need to start living in faith with the freedom that God intended for us.
Faith and freedom are the opposite of fear. Faith led Abraham out of idolatrous Ur but what if he had allowed fear to grip his heart. Imagine if he had said, “No. I don’t know what’s out there. Maybe bandits will attack and steal everything I have. Maybe I end up going in the wrong direction and get lost and die in the desert. Maybe I lose all that I have and, worst of all, I am forced to return to Ur. What will the Chaldeans say? They will surely laugh at me.” Replace Abraham’s name with your own, Ur with your employer’s name, and ‘everything’ with your bank account balance. Now we can understand why Abraham is considered the father of FAITH.
What goes through your head if you think taking a new direction in your life? What fills your heart when you think about leaving your security and everything you know behind? Most will say ‘No, I’m quite happy where I am. At least the food of Egypt will keep me from going hungry. But there will come a time when faith comes calling, urging you to take that step. Faith had Elijah climb Carmel to victory. Doubt or fear would have kept Elisha behind a plow but faith gave him double the blessing of his mentor, Elijah. Fear would have kept Joshua in the wilderness but faith led to victory in Canaan. Fear would have kept Caleb staring up the mountain at Hebron, but the promise of God gave him the faith to take possession of Hebron Fear would have kept Peter in the boat. Faith sometimes does urge us to walk on water, but we need to get our feet wet to experience the freedom that God has in store for us.
How did all these people overcome the fear or doubt they must have felt when it came to decision time? There is one thing in common with each act of faith – they acted on the Word of God. God spoke to Abraham, Moses, Elijah, Peter, and He speaks to us today by various means. Our problem is that we ask the question, ‘Was that really God? Let’s wait for confirmation.’ It’s amazing how many times when confirmation does come we ask for another sign. It is time for Christians to get up and go.
God speaks to us through His Word, yes, but it should not be a one-sided conversation. We tend to look to people for answers but it is God who spoke to us. We need to speak to Him as did the prophets of old. These people spoke to God. They asked, they argued, they questioned and made excuses and God answered each one of them. Once they had an answer, they accepted it and acted on it. But God does not only speak to us through His Word. He speaks to us by other means as well.
But God came to Abimelech in a dream by night, and said to him, Behold, thou art but But Abimelech had not come near her: and he said, Lord, wilt thou slay also a righteous nation?
Said he not unto me, She is my sister? and she, even she herself said, He is my brother: in the integrity of my heart and innocency of my hands have I done this.
And God said unto him in a dream, Yea, I know that thou didst this in the integrity of thy heart; for I also withheld thee from sinning against me: therefore suffered I thee not to touch her.
(Gen. 20:3-6)
Dreams and visions are common ways God communicates in the Bible. He spoke to Abimelech, Joseph the husband of Mary, Laban, Gideon, Solomon, Pharaoh, Nebuchudnezzar in dreams. I’ve listed some you may not be aware of that were spoken to through dreams and visions. Others received visitations, such as Mary and Zechariah, the father of John the Baptist. Not only do we have the Word and prayer, dreams and visions, and visitations, we also have God’s Spirit.
And it was revealed unto him by the Holy Ghost, that he should not see death, before he had seen the Lord's Christ.
(Luke 2:26)
And we have the Holy Spirit with us today.
Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.
(2Cor.3:17)
We have been given so much to help us in our walk with God yet we cling to the ways of the world and allow its fear and bondage to keep us prisoners.
For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.
(2Tim.1:7)
The world will come with its giants of fear and doubt, mockery and spite but you can go forth like David to meet the giant:
This day will the LORD deliver thee into mine hand; and I will smite thee, and take thine head from thee; and I will give the carcases of the host of the Philistines this day unto the fowls of the air, and to the wild beasts of the earth; that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel.
And all this assembly shall know that the LORD saveth not with sword and spear: for the battle is the LORD'S, and he will give you into our hands.
(1Samuel 17:45-47)
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