The Midianites had been cruel to the Israelites, destroying their crops, their homes, their families. In fact, the Israelites were so afraid of the Midianites that they fled to the mountains and hid in caves.

Yet, when Gideon was preparing to attack thousands upon thousands of Midianites, God spoke some specific instructions: “You have too many warriors with you” (Judges 7:2a).

What? Too many warriors? Why does that matter?

“If I let all of you fight the Midianites, the Israelites will boast to me that they saved themselves by their own,” (7.2b) God explained.

God gave Gideon one basic command: “Trust me.” He was asking Gideon not to fight as he would naturally; rather, he was calling him to a supernatural battle–a battle fought by God, not by man.

After a couple of God-ordained tests, Gideon’s army, which started out as 32,000 soldiers, stood at 300 men. Though his physical army seemed small, his heavenly army more than made up the difference.

With a trumpet in one hand and a glass jar in the other, Gideon’s army of 300 surrounded the Midianite camp.

What? Glass jars and trumpets? Where were the swords and armor? Where were the archers to fire arrows into the camp? The chariots and horses to trample the enemy?

Again, God had other plans. He had selected Gideon and his small band of warriors as instruments to bring forth a supernatural victory–a victory for which only God could get the credit.

I have learned that my battle with fear and panic is similar in many ways. I can gather an army of psychiatrists, psychologists, medication, meditation, self-help books, support groups, breathing techniques, relaxation tapes and more. I might amass enough resources to beat this thing. But who gets the credit?

I believe God desires to instruct each person on which resources he wants to use in your battle. Maybe it’s medication or a good counselor, or maybe it’s a combination of both. Maybe it’s something odd like glass jars and trumpets. Maybe God wants you to fight this battle alone. Whatever God instructs you to do, do it. After all, this is his battle.

Each one of the resources I listed are powerful tools for healing and recovery when God works through them. However, you can’t place your trust in your resources–your personal army against anxiety. Call upon God for guidance. Let him show you what he wants you to do.

Prayer: Father, show me which “weapons,” if any, you would have me carry. I praise you for past and future victories, because I know that only through your Son will I win this battle.

It was a cheap toy. I’m still not quite sure where we got it, but this little, lime-green spinning top was Caleb’s favorite toy.

At three years old, he couldn’t spin it. Every now and then, he’d ask us to spin it for him. He enjoyed watching it balance and spin almost miraculously on its tip. You could tell from the expression of his face that he really wanted to know how that thing worked. Even more, he wanted to learn to spin it himself one day.

It was early in the morning when Caleb came running into my office. “Daddy?” he asked. “Will you spin it for me?”

I stopped what I was doing and spun the cheap toy a few times. As before, his eyes were glued to this spinning object. Occasionally, he would turn to me and smile and giggle.

“I wanna spin it,” asked the curious three-year-old. I took his hand in mine and showed him how to snap his fingers. With my hand over his, I went through the motions of grasping the top’s handle between the fingers.

Then, I sat back and watched him try.

He fumbled around with the top a few times. Then, with one smooth motion, he spun the top. I was surprised! He was surprised! We both started shouting, “Yeah!” It was an exciting time.

For most, it may have been no big deal. For my son and me, it was a special time. A time of teaching, a time of learning. Most of all, it was a time of rejoicing.

Life is very similar. We have so many things we fumble around with, unable to do because of inexperience or even fear. Yet, our Father takes our hands and our heart and gently goes through the motions with us. He shows us how to do those things we kept telling ourselves we can’t do. He shows us how to spin those tops.

But, God doesn’t stop there. Just as me and my son shouted with excitement, your Father rejoices with you in your victories. His heart leaps with yours as you put into motion what your Father has taught you.

“Blessed is the man whom You instruct, O LORD…” (Ps 94:12a).

Prayer:  Father, I’ve been fumbling too long with the things of my life.  Please take my hands into your hands, my heart into your heart, and let’s spin the things of life together.  I will trust you.

“For God has not given us the spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind” (2 Timothy 1:7).

This verse is often quoted when we talk to others about fear. It’s prayed over us when we humbly confess our anxieties. Yes, there’s hope when God talks about love, power and a sound mind. But I must confess, I did not like this scripture.

Here’s why?

When I did eventually let my guard down and share my “condition” with other Christians, their canned response would inevitably be: “But God hasn’t given you a spirit of fear.” Their eyes would squint and their head would tilt as they stared at me with confused looks on their faces.

Even though they didn’t say it, here’s what I heard, “You’re a Christian, but apparently you’re not walking with God. What have you done wrong?”

I know they meant well, but most people just don’t understand this condition. How could they? They have never experienced the terror and torment.

So, for a long time, whenever I heard that scripture quoted, my skin would crawl. I would play back those piercing, painful words and looks from people. Even with God, I would cry out, “Well if you haven’t given me a spirit of fear, then why do I feel so afraid?”

It wasn’t until a couple of years ago that I began to understand this verse. A pastor said to me, “Russ, God hasn’t given you this spirit of fear. Yes, the enemy may have, but God hasn’t. God wants you to have love and power and a sound mind. That’s his desire for you.”

It’s true. God has good plans for you (Jeremiah 29:11). Those plans do not include fear, torment or bondage. Your Father’s plans are peace, power and purpose.

He has not given you a spirit of fear–a spirit that binds you and holds you back. He has given you his Holy Spirit–the Spirit of comfort and counsel. The Spirit of peace, power and purpose.

Prayer: Father, thank you that you understand me even when others don’t. I believe that you want what is best for me–power and love and a sound mind. I claim these gifts and resist every “spirit of fear” by the power of your Holy Spirit.

Even though the fig trees have no blossoms,
and there are no grapes on the vine;

Even though the olive crop fails,
and the fields lie empty and barren;

Even though the flocks die in the fields,
and the cattle barns are empty,

Yet I will rejoice in the LORD!
I will be joyful in the God of my salvation.
The Sovereign LORD is my strength!

He will make me as surefooted as a deer and
Bring me safely over the mountains.

Habakkuk 3:17-19a

Change can be uncomfortable. In March of 1999; I went through a season of change in my life–a change that many people are experiencing today in this economy. After ten years of service with this company, I was laid off without warning.

I remember that morning so clearly. It started off just like any other Monday morning, but I had no idea what was coming. At 10:00 am, my boss walked up to me and said, “Russ, we have to let you go. You need to be out of here by 5:00 pm.” What started out as a typical Monday morning quickly became a life-changing experience in just a matter of hours.

At first, I was kind of numb. Ten years at one job was a long time. Yet, as my boss walked out of my office that day, I began to weep–not at the job loss; not at an uncertain future; not even at the abrupt ending of my income. No. When I wept, I was weeping over God’s goodness. I had no idea what the next day held, but I knew God was good, and he could be trusted. My life, my future, my family was really in his hands. I was already in God’s hands before that Monday morning, but now the revelation of that truth had come to life.

Months passed with no promising offers. An interview here; an interview there. Nothing came my way. I was riding the roller coaster of emotions. Yet, I knew deep down that God would not fail me. I could trust him.

One morning, I got a call from a local company. We talked for a bit, and then I went in that very day for an interview. By the end of the interview, they had verbally offered me the job. In a matter of hours–just like that day in March–my life had changed.

When I look back over the past four months of unemployment, it was a good time–times of rest; times of seeking God; times of divine provision; times of prayer. And yes, even times of questioning God. I figured if David and Jesus could ask “why” (Psalm 22:1, Matthew 27:46, Mark 15:34), then surely it’s okay for me to ask “why”. Yet even in my questions, God proved himself faithful.

I could have battled all the “what if’s” and spent endless hours worrying and stressing over my situation, but I chose not to. I knew God could be trusted. I knew he would provide for us. So, I decided to rest, and let God bring about the right job at the right time.

I want to encourage everyone reading this that God can be trusted. No matter if it’s unemployment, fears, family problems, marital issues, personal struggles or just questioning your faith, God is there for you. Through his Son, Jesus, God is ready to help you through any problem, any situation and any circumstance.

Jesus said, “So I tell you, don’t worry about everyday life–whether you have enough food, drink, and clothes. Doesn’t life consist of more than food and clothing? Look at the birds. They don’t need to plant or harvest or put food in barns because your heavenly Father feeds them. And you are far more valuable to him than they are. Can all your worries add a single moment to your life? Of course not. And why worry about your clothes? Look at the lilies and how they grow. They don’t work or make their clothing, yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are. And if God cares so wonderfully for flowers that are here today and gone tomorrow, won’t he more surely care for you? You have so little faith! So don’t worry about having enough food or drink or clothing. Why be like the pagans who are so deeply concerned about these things? Your heavenly Father already knows all your needs, and he will give you all you need from day to day if you live for him and make the Kingdom of God your primary concern. So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today” (Matthew 6:25-34).

Prayer: компютриFather, I want to trust you more. I want to understand your heart, your will, your desires for me. I want to live in your faithfulness, because you are completely and totally faithful. Today, I choose to trust you. I choose to not listen to me circumstances. I will rest in you.

Two men stood at the foot of a bridge. “It looks sturdy,” declared the younger man. “I am sure it will hold us when we cross. There should be no problem. Look at that reliable construction. Look at the width of those wood beams. I am sure it will be fine.”

The other man just stood there quietly for a few seconds. Then he headed out across the bridge.

Let me ask you a question: which one had faith that the bridge was strong enough to hold him? Was it the one who professed it was sturdy or the one who walked across?

Faith is more than just believing. It is more than just confessing. Faith is putting into action what we believe. It’s not just waiting around for God to come down and zap us. If we never act upon what we believe, then we are not expressing our faith. We can talk all day about God’s strength and protection, but if we never act on it–if we never step out–our faith is dead.

“Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to him, ‘Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed,’ but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead” (James 2:15-17).

Many people “talk the talk,” but fewer “walk the walk.” When trials come, faith will be tested. My faith was tested a few years ago. I boldly declared my confidence in God. But, when trouble hit, my life crumbled. My faith proved to be nothing more than a vain declaration. I really didn’t believe what I was saying.

Today, I am able to act upon my faith in God. When the fear comes crashing in, I don’t obey it. Instead I obey God. I believe he will protect me and keep me safe. I put my faith into action by consciously choosing to rest in that belief. I walk across that bridge instead of just talking about it.

You may ask, “Where do I start? How can I believe God’s promises? How can I express my faith?”

Begin by praying for faith–faith to respond to God’s promises. Read the Bible to learn more about those promises and God’s faithfulness. Unlike that bridge, God will not sway or break. Our Father is strong and steadfast. He is faithful. He will never fail you.

Prayer: Father, there may have been times that I have professed my faith in you only to fail you. I ask that you would give me the courage and strength to stand in faith–to trust you no matter what comes my way.

Are you truly honest with God? Or do you approach God like you approach friends and family? “Things are going great right now. Couldn’t be better.” When actually things could be a lot better. When is the last time you responded to a friends greeting with, “Actually, things sure have been rough this week?” When is the last time you really told God how you felt?

David was considered by God a man after his own heart (Acts 13:22). Why was David a man after God’s own heart? It wasn’t because he was perfect. Why was David different?

David was honest with God. He really told God how he felt. There was no facade in his prayer life. He did not carry a superficial attitude in worship. He was open and honest with God.

Have you ever felt abandoned by the Lord? David did, and he told the Lord how he felt:

“I say to God my Rock, ‘Why have you forgotten me? Why must I go about mourning, oppressed by the enemy?’ My bones suffer mortal agony as my foes taunt me, saying to me all day long, ‘Where is your God?’” (Psalms 42:9-10).

Even when David was angry with others, he expressed it to the Lord:

“Break the teeth in their mouths, O God; tear out, O LORD, the fangs of the lions! Let them vanish like water that flows away; when they draw the bow, let their arrows be blunted. Like a slug melting away as it moves along, like a stillborn child, may they not see the sun. Before your pots can feel the heat of the thorns–whether they be green or dry–the wicked will be swept away” (Psalms 58:6-9).

When David was in difficult situations, he told God about his despair:

“My heart is in anguish within me; the terrors of death assail me. Fear and trembling have beset me; horror has overwhelmed me” (Psalms 55:4-5).

“Why do you hide your face and forget our misery and oppression? We are brought down to the dust; our bodies cling to the ground” (Psalms 44:24-25).

David also worshipped the Lord:

“As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God?” (Psalms 42:1-2).

David was a man after Gods own heart, because he was open and honest with God. David expressed all of his true emotions to God, not just the pleasant ones. To David, God was friend he could confide in.

Today, I encourage you to be transparent before God. He already knows everything. Why not get it all out on the table and ask him to help you work through those issues that may be holding you back. Let your Father shine his light on the dark areas of your soul. He will open your heart to a new peace and new freedom that only comes by being honest with God.

Prayer: Father, forgive me for not being honest with you. Help me to understand and know where I have not been honest with you. Lord, I open my heart to you. I desire to be open and honest with you from this day forward.

I have been told by those who have experienced panic disorder and found freedom that relinquishment is the key to that freedom.

So, what does that mean? What does it mean to relinquish yourself to God? In the dictionary, relinquishment means “to let out of one’s possession or control completely; to abandon one’s self.”

The world teaches that when fear and panic strike, you need to take control of your life. “Get a hold of yourself Russell!” or “Get a grip!” Yet, Jesus says, “For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it” (Matthew 16:25).

A few years ago, a lady wrote to me and shared her story. It illustrates this principal of relinquishment:

———–
I have been house bound with panic attacks for the last 15 years, only having ventured out of my home 3 or 4 times. I live in a very small town where going to a doctor is really very simple but, for me, it was a nightmare just going to the car.

In late March I became very ill with kidney failure and had to be taken to the hospital by ambulance. I was more afraid of the fear than of my kidney problem. After accessing my problem, I was immediately air lifted to another hospital about 400 miles from home. As I was being placed in the plane for transport, I told my son ‘good-bye’, as I didn’t think I was going to make it. I was near death or, so I thought. In the plane, I began to speak with God and make peace with him. I suddenly became very calm and peaceful. I had no fear at all and became very aware of my surroundings. I looked out the small window of the plane and admired the beauty of the clouds.

When I got to the hospital, I was placed on dialysis and my month long stay in hospital was a “touch and go” situation but, still no fear.

When time came for my release from hospital, my husband drove me the 400 miles home, and I was amazed that I could not even remember what a panic attack felt like. I am convinced that God allowed me to feel the fear of dying so that I might be able to cope with the fear of living.

Today, I am able to go out to restaurants, shopping, go to movies….do all the things I have not been able to do for 15 years. God saved my life in more ways than one. Yes, there will always be some anxiety but, that is normal in life and I am now able to cope with it, with God’s help.
———–

mebeli
Although Linda’s experience with relinquishment came as a result of sickness, God revealed to her that freedom comes when you simply trust him with your life–when you give him complete control.

Prayer: Lord, I give you control. Help me to relinquish my vain efforts, to rid myself of any worldly coping techniques. Help me to trust you more.

A Fragile Moment of Hope

Today’s message comes from a book I picked up at the library during a lunch break one afternoon. I was so moved by this one story. It really created within me a new kind of hope. I pray it will do the same for you.

“A Fragile Moment of Hope” by Josephine Jensen

The sun had not yet risen as I walked alone along the beach. The night’s high tide had left the beach strewn with debris. A seagull, which once had glided in the blue, lay lifeless on the sand. Matted seaweed, once a living part of the deep, was now discarded by the waves. Driftwood, too, once green and growing, lay in silver-gray desolation.

Tears welled in my eyes. Those tragic bits and pieces, broken and still, were reminders of something in my life which had once been vibrant and alive, but now, too, was dead.

I slumped on the sand and closed my eyes. How long I sat there I do not know. Then a child’s shout rang across the beach.

Two children were running down the beach. As I looked up, they stopped. They had found the seagull. For a moment they stood silently around it. Then they dug a grave with a piece of driftwood, buried the bird and placed shells in an elaborate pattern on the mound.

With a whoop, they then dashed to the seaweed. Draping it around their waists, they wiggled their hips and, in their imagination, were in Hawaii. A long tendril became a jump rope. In each newfound object there was fresh discovery.

Everything they looked at, I had looked at. Yet while I saw only death, they saw wonder and excitement.

I rose and started home. A fragment of Scripture, half forgotten, came to mind: “Forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before…” (Philippians 3:13).

The rays of the rising sun flooded the hills. The same became a thousand diamonds, and I walked on them. It was the beginning of a new day.

Philippians 3:13 encourages us to forget what is behind and reach forward to what lies ahead. Panic attacks and fear can leave lots of mental and emotional debris in its path, making things seem lifeless and dead, but God encourages us to press on, forgetting those things and reaching for new things in our lives.

Prayer: Lord, help me to cast off all dead baggage that serves no healthy purpose. Help me to not look behind, but forward. Help me to understand that you are the God of hope. Lord, I will trust in you as we move forward from this day forward.

A man and his son were playing in the snow one day. Pointing to a tree off in the distance, the father said, “Son, let’s have a contest. We will both walk straight toward that tree. The contest is not to see who gets there first. Rather, the winner is the one who can have the straightest path in the snow.”

The son agreed, and the father said, “Go.” As each one moved closer and closer to the tree, the son carefully placed one foot in front of the other. He watched his feet closely to make sure each step was exactly in line. He didn’t rush. He stepped. Analyzed. Stepped. Verified. Stepped. On and on.

When the boy finally reached the tree, his father was already there waiting for him. As the son glanced back at the two paths, he noticed that his path snaked through the snow. His father’s path, on the other hand, looked straight as an arrow. Dumbfounded, the son questioned, “I don’t understand. I took my time. I watched each and every step. Yet, my path was crooked. Why?”

The father responded, “Son, to keep your path straight, don’t watch where you step. Keep your eye on the goal.”

What a paradox: when we walk step by step, focusing on our feet, we often stumble. But when we take our eyes off our steps and fix them on the goal, we can walk a straight and narrow path. We must fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith (Hebrews 12:2).

Paul said, “But one thing I do: forgetting what is behind, and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:13b-14).

Prayer: Father, as I focus my eyes upon Jesus and follow him in all my ways, make my footsteps straight–a perfect path to peace.

P.S. My son, Caleb, and I made a video about this message. If you would like to see it, you can click here to view the video message.