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Cast out Fear

You Do Not Have To Be Afraid

by GOD TV June 16, 2022

written by GOD TV

You do not have to be afraid. 2 Timothy1:7 says, “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and a sound mind,” or some translations say, “self-control.” I battled with fear for years. And it was coming back to this verse time and time again, and declaring it over myself, that I’ve not been given a spirit of fear, but of love, of a sound mind, of power, that finally delivered me into freedom from it.

So we have not been given a spirit of fear. You have been given the Holy Spirit who is full of love and wisdom and guidance and power. And so right now, today, if you struggle with fear, there is freedom. There is freedom, because the Holy Spirit wants to set you free right now. And so I just say, fear has to go and, God, we thank you that you have not given the spirit of fear, but you have given the spirit of love, of a sound mind, and of power. And so all fear must go right now in Jesus’ Name. Thank you, God. Amen.

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Defeating The Giant Of Fear: Lessons From David

by Skip Heitzig January 3, 2022

written by Skip Heitzig

I once read an article in the Huffington Post that said 85% of the things we’re afraid of never happen. And of the 15% that happens, we often discover we can handle it better than we thought we could or we learn something from the experience.

Still, many of us live with fears. While some measure of healthy fear can be helpful, fear is also one of the most destructive human emotions. When fears become irrational, they can paralyze us or cause us to panic. We often learn these fears as children, and we carry them with us throughout our lives.

But did you know the commands “fear not” or “do not be afraid” are given 63 times in Scripture, with a total of 300 variations of those phrases between the Old and New Testaments?

One of my favorite biblical stories about facing fear is the story of David and Goliath. I think there are four lessons we can learn from this story about fear and how we should deal with it.

Fear is intimidating.

Picture the scene. There are two hills on either side of the Valley of Elah, which is about a mile wide. The army of Israel was on one hill, and the army of the Philistines was on the other hill. One day, a massive man presents himself to the Israelites. His name is Goliath, and he is a champion from Gath, a Philistine city.

According to Scripture, Goliath’s height was “six cubits and a span.” Six cubits and a span is anywhere from 8 ½ feet to 9 ½ feet tall. There are some translations of the Old Testament that offer different renderings of Goliath’s stature. If you read the Masoretic text, the Septuagint, the Dead Sea Scrolls or the writings of Flavius Josephus, they don’t say Goliath was “six cubits and a span.” They say he was “four cubits and a span,” which would make him about 6 feet, 9 inches tall. And he wore a coat of chain mail that weighed about 125 pounds and carried a spear with a head like a pointed sledgehammer.

In B.C. 1000, when this story takes place, the average height of an Israeli male was 5 feet, 3 inches. Goliath standing next to an Israelite would be like LeBron James standing next to Danny DeVito—it would be almost comical if it wasn’t so frightening.

Goliath shouted to the Israelites to send him a man to fight with, but no one volunteered. (No surprise there.)

At the time, King Saul was the tallest Israelite, and he was considered the best contender against Goliath. But evidently, he didn’t speak up and no one forced the issue. King Saul was just as afraid of Goliath as everybody else. Except David, a shepherd and the youngest son of Jesse.

When David brought supplies to his brothers who were at the frontlines against the army of the Philistines, he heard Goliath’s taunts and said, “Who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God?” (1 Samuel 17:26b).

David didn’t see a giant. He saw a big bully. And a big target.

When we look at people, we automatically size them up. We are either impressed or not impressed. If they outdress us, outsmart us or outwork us, or whatever the case may be, we might feel a little fearful and intimidated. But what we see is often a matter of how we see.

Fear is a barrier to knowing God and fulfilling his purpose for our lives. David wasn’t quaking in fear of Goliath because he trusted in the living God. And when we place our trust in God, our fears become less frightening.

Fear can be debilitating.

Goliath taunted the army of Israel for 40 days, morning and evening. It would be demoralizing to hear that, day after day. Eventually, Goliath crossed the little brook in the Valley of Elah. He wasn’t just intimidating—he was aggressive. And he was getting closer.

So, the two armies prepared for a face-off in the valley. But when Goliath appeared once more, the army of Israel hastily retreated in “great fear” (1 Samuel 17:24).

Goliath was much like our adversary, Satan. As the apostle Peter writes, “Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour” (1 Peter 5:8b). Fear is one of his most effective weapons against the people of God.

If we allow fear to take root in our lives, it can grow out of control, keeping us awake at night, plaguing our thoughts and causing us to ask, “What if?” over and over again. Soon, our fears become debilitating.

When our fears threaten to overwhelm us, we should recall the words of David: “The Lord who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine” (1 Samuel 17:37a).

Fear breeds squabbling.

When David showed up with food for his older brothers, who were fighting in Saul’s army, Eliab, his oldest brother, went into a rage.

“Why did you come down here?” He asked David. “And with whom have you left those few sheep in the wilderness?” (1 Samuel 17:28). This is a dig. Eliab’s trying to put David down: “I’m in the army. All you do is keep sheep.”

Eliab, Jesse’s oldest son, stood in line with his other brothers when the prophet Samuel came to anoint the next king—which means Eliab was the first one in the family to be rejected as king. He never forgot that. And he never forgot when David came in from tending his sheep, and Samuel said David was the chosen one. Eliab held that against David. In a moment of fear, he lashed out.

Mental health expert Kristen Fuller once said that fear can turn into anger. When you’re in a stressful environment combined with a perceived threat, you can experience frustration. In that condition, people often lash out at those around them. Keep in mind if people are getting angry at you, it could be because they’re afraid of something.

Instead of getting into a fight with Eliab, David walked away. He knew who the real enemy was. If we aren’t careful, we can end up spending all our time fighting with a Christian brother or sister, while the real enemy of our souls is gaining ground. He wants you distracted by infighting. Don’t let it happen.

Fear requires conquering.

When it became apparent that no one would fight Goliath, David stepped forward with a sling and five stones. He said to Goliath, “You come to me with a sword, with a spear, and with a javelin. But I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied” (1 Samuel 17:45).

I don’t think this was hubris or that David was being prideful. I think he was probably nervous when he met Goliath. But David realized something:

God was fighting his battle.

David continued:

“This day the Lord will deliver you into my hand, and I will strike you and take your head from you. And this day I will give the carcasses of the camp of the Philistines to the birds of the air and the wild beasts of the earth, that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel. Then all this assembly shall know that the Lord does not save with sword and spear; for the battle is the Lord’s, and he will give you into our hands” (1 Samuel 17:46-47).

And we all know what happened next.

David was victorious because he did three things:

He remembered past victories. God had shown himself strong in the past (with lions and bears), so David knew God would be strong in the present. Fear in the present is conquered by recalling victories in the past.

He realized personal assets. Goliath was huge compared to David, and he believed that his size, his words, his armor and his weapons would allow him to conquer the Israelites. David was small and chose to forgo Saul’s offer of armor, and his only weapons were a sling and five stones. David knew that God would defeat Goliath, so he only used what God had provided. Find the gifts God has given you and use them.

He relied on a powerful God. From an outsider’s view, David’s task looked impossible. But David realized Goliath was attacking not just an army, but God’s people. When God’s people are attacked, God takes it personally. Goliath may have had size, strength and a sword, but David came in the name of the Lord. If you’re going to slay giants, then you must have a healthy respect for the size of the living God, particularly in comparison to the size of your problem.

Fear is the greatest barrier to us fulfilling God’s plan for our lives. But God hasn’t given us a spirit of fear, because “perfect love casts out all fear” (1 John 4:18). I’m praying that we who follow Jesus would not only be a bold church, but that we would also be a church of sound mind, thinking clearly and unafraid. I pray that we would realize that the name, reputation and authority of God is so much grander and much more powerful than any Goliath.

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Skip Heitzig is the senior pastor of Calvary Church in New Mexico and the author of numerous books and publications. His radio and television broadcast, Connect with Skip Heitzig, is available throughout the United States and around the world.

Read: Hollywood Actress Encounters Jesus

January 3, 2022 0 comment

Faith

Facing Your Giants: How to Stop Living in Fear and Step Into Your Promised Land

by Sarah Gerber December 5, 2021

written by Sarah Gerber

To be totally honest, when the shock of starting the adoption process wore off, what replaced it was fear.

In my adult life, there have definitely been many seasons where fear has held too much influence in my thoughts and psyche. For years, God has continually brought freedom to the layers of fear that seemed to be woven into aspects of how I operated. As I walk with Him, I’ve seen myself stop living in fear and start stepping into trust in God, freedom in my mind, and the ability to find peace when faced with challenging circumstances.

I have worked to train my brain away from worst case scenarios. Instead, I enjoy imagining best case scenarios as a way to think differently! But when we started moving towards adopting a child the entire trajectory of my life was about to transition to something big, brand new and full of unknown mystery sent me right into the middle of worst case scenarioville once again. I would lie in bed at night as thought after thought of what if’s and dreaded parenting horror stories would keep me awake for hours!

Facing the Fear of Parenting

Adoption in itself has a multitude of potential risks and challenges. If the child is healthy when born and doesn’t have a NICU stay, which feels like a miracle these days even with biological children, there are so many latent complications. These range from digestive issues running rampant in babies to learning, sensory, and behavioral issues, then there is the matter of their spiritual journey.

Are they going to stay connected to God in their childhood into the terrifyingly treacherous teenage years and into adulthood??? What if there is a disastrous accident??? I’ve seen those awful stories in the news. What if my child’s photo ends up on one of those missing child mailers??? What are the odds among all of those concerns that nothing bad will ever happen???

See my point? When it comes to parenting, there is SO much that can go wrong.

Facing imminent parenting with its associated fears brought a level of intensity that would’ve sent me into low level panic if I didn’t have the tools and transformation God has already walked me through. In this season, I’ve found that Scripture has been a weapon and a powerful sword to strengthen my spirit against the enemy of fear that I was facing.

How The Story of David Helps Us Stop Living in Fear

I’ve always been inspired by the story of David. There’s one particular scenario, early in his story, when David brought food to his brothers who were among the army of the Israelites. They were “fighting” the Philistine army and being taunted by the giant, Goliath (1 Samuel 17). The description of the giant inspires great fear, especially if you don’t yet know the story’s ending:

“And a champion went out from the camp of the Philistines, named Goliath, from Gath, whose height was six cubits and a span. He had a bronze helmet on his head, and he was armed with a coat of mail, and the weight of the coat was five thousand shekels of bronze. And he had bronze armor on his legs and a bronze javelin between his shoulders. Now the staff of his spear was like a weaver’s beam, and his iron spearhead weighed six hundred shekels; and a shield-bearer went before him.”

What is clear from the text is that this was a big dude who was loaded with defensive and offensive strength that could kill many people at once! Not only that, but his words were incredibly intimidating and full of confidence in his ability to do just that.

Sometimes my biggest fears feel just as intimidating, huge and impossible to overcome in my mind. One of my favorite parts of the whole story is when David responds to Goliath’s taunts “Come to me, and I will give your flesh to the birds of the air and the beasts of the field,” with a taunt of his own.

“You come to me with a sword, with a spear and with a javelin. But I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. This day the Lord will deliver you into my hand, and I will strike you and take your head from you. And this day I will give the carcasses of the camp of the Philistines to the birds of the air and the wild beasts of the earth, that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel. Then all this assembly shall know that the Lord does not save with the sword and spear, for the battle is the Lord’s and He will give you into our hands.”

Just meditating on those words fills me with remembrance of who my God is and has been in my life. The wild confidence that David has is available to me, too – because we have the same God. After this powerful declaration, David runs at Goliath using the little slingshot he was familiar with and took that giant out with a stone to the head!

David’s knowledge of who his God was far outweighed the fear and intimidation that the giant induced. David was so much more aware of the power of his God that no threat could hook his heart. An entire army was frozen in fear for forty days while one young man was unfazed. God, give us that deep trust!

Steps to Stop Living in Fear

I am quite a practical person and I can’t help but give myself activating steps to take when I want to see change and apply what I’m learning. I was so inspired by David’s courage and strength in God that I memorized his words to Goliath. I began inserting myself into this story. At night when I couldn’t sleep I would imagine myself as David challenging Goliath, but I would see the giant as one of the fears I was facing and I would see myself running at the fear saying the words of David. “….for the battle is the Lord’s and He will give you into my hands.” And I would see the stone hit the “fear giant” in the head and watch it topple. A sense of peace would come over me and I would sink into restful sleep. I put that on repeat as needed and a sense of victory and faith would rise up in me knowing God is incredibly larger and stronger than my fears.

The Promises of God Are Like Stones to Fling at the Giants of Our Fear

God has given us countless promises about having children and being parents. I have been seeing parenthood as my Promise Land. It’s as if, as we’ve been preparing for parenthood, we’ve had the opportunity to spy out the land and have seen the potential giants that are represented in various fears.

In the story in the Bible (Numbers 13) twelve spies scout out the land and there are two perspectives when they return. Ten were intimidated by the giants that currently presided in the territory of Promise and were more impressed with them than the grapes the size of their heads and the rivers of abundance or the beauty in the potential of the future.

Thankfully there were two men named Joshua and Caleb who had a response in stark contrast to their partner spies. They knew in their heart of hearts that God was greater and stronger than any giants or blockages and that God was true to His promises. They had no fear because they knew their God. He was bigger to them than the giants.

Who Will I Trust?

I had a choice to make. I could continue letting fear rob me and my future as a parent like the ten spies who influenced a nation to shrink back. Or I could proceed in faith like Joshua and Caleb, confident in who God is and keenly aware of His power to defeat anything that hinders full Promise Land occupation. He gives the ability and resources to stop living in fear and live the destiny He has planned for me.

When I surround my thoughts with the truth of who He is as God and who He has been to me, remembering the history of my personal relationship with God and recognizing every past victory, I am convinced the future will be the same. Who has He been to me? He will be no different in the Promised Land of parenting than He has in any other time.

The words that God said to Joshua when he was finally going to lead the Israelites into their Promise Land are still poignant for me today.

5 No one will be able to stand against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you. 6 Be strong and courageous, because you will lead these people to inherit the land I swore to their ancestors to give them. 7 “Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. 8 Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. 9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”

He says three times: Be strong and courageous!

He gives a practical step three times to pay careful attention to His word.

He says: Do not be afraid or discouraged.

He says three times: I will be with you.

One by one, together, God and I are taking out the giant fears that try to take up residence in my mind. Instead, I’m dreaming with God of parenting best case scenarios, the beauty of getting to love and grow a tiny human into adulthood, the wonder of their gifts and passions developing, family inside jokes, cuddle time, and the fun of discovering new places together. There is so much to look forward to when I know God will always be with me!

Parenting is the Promised Land I’m moving into, but what is your Promised Land?

What are your fears that you are ready to slay?

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December 5, 2021 0 comment