Read 1 Samuel 17:8-11 Quincy Jones, Dr. Dre, George Martin, Rick Rubin and Glyn Johns; do you recognize any of these names? Maybe not, but I bet you’ll recognize these names: The Rolling Stones, The Beatles, The Eagles, Stevie Wonder, Michael Jackson, Eminem, NWA, Metallica and Johnny Cash. The first group are record producers and the second group are the artists they help to create. The producer defines the sound, the vision and the direction of the group. Fear has as its producer, Satan. Make no mistake he has vision and direction for man. That direction is away from God, His Word and His plan for us. The battle between David and Goliath takes place to show us how fear operates. Fear operates in us no differently than it did for King Saul and his army. Let’s take a closer look. Fear wants in our head. It wants to attack our mind, weaken the heart, and break the spirit. First, look at verse 1, “The Philistines gathered their armies for battle…”. Fear used Israel’s past to get in their head. They had already been defeated at least twice by the Philistines and had the Ark of the Covenant stolen from them. Now, fear grows by using Israel’s present situation. Their present problem: Goliath–9’9” tall, his armour weighed 125 lbs, his helmet and shin guards were solid brass and spear weighed 32 lbs. Twice a day for 40 days Goliath insulted and challenged the Israeli army. The result? Look at verse 11, “…they were dismayed and greatly afraid”. The threats and insults continue when David steps forward. Goliath asks David, in verse 43, if he was a dog you can whip me with a stick. What does Satan use on you, on us? Does he bring up unemployment, abandonment, sexual abuse, or depression? Where does your giant show up: in your office, your bedroom, your classroom? Does he bring up bills you can’t pay, grades you can’t make, people you can’t please, whiskey you can’t resist, pornography you can’t refuse, a career you can’t escape, a past you can’t shake, or a future you can’t face. This is the arsenal of “What Ifs”. Reflect Fear is paralyzing; it stops us and holds us captive. God plan for us does not involve fear or worry. God is not able to work in and through us when we are in the grip of fear. Let’s learn how fear operates and the weapons it uses. Stop fear in its track. Pray As you pray ask God to remove fear from you life. Ask Him to show you truth from His word about who you are in Christ. Ask Him to stop the “What If’s” in your mind. // TWO-A-DAYS // GO A LITTLE FARTHER WITH YOUR DAILY DEVOTIONS // Go through these questions with your spouse, kids, or friend, or you can even journal about the answers to these questions:
- What was the best part of your day?
- What was the toughest part of your day?
- Where did you mess up today?
- Where did you see God today?
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