CWW Week 14 - Day 7 - Courage
|
Scripture
2 Timothy 1:7 from the New King James Version (NKJV):
“For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.”
Devotional
Isn’t it ironic that the smallest piece of scripture I could find on the topic of courage seems to pack the most punch?
Of all those we have reviewed in week fourteen, I find this the most appropriate to round off this weeks devotionals.
Firstly lets take this apart and examine it from a practical sense. If God has not given us a Spirit Of Fear,then where does the spirit of fear come from? We have already realised that we are locked in an age old battle of good verses evil and we know who the commanders are on both sides, so the answer to our question must only be, the devil.
But not a spirit of fear but of power and love. There is a pattern forming here from all the devotionals we have covered from week one. We now know from our walk together, that this power is, and can only be the Holy Spirit. Why? Because we also now know that we have no real and lasting power without the Holy Spirit. Remember Paul said, “Not I but Christ who lives in me.”see Galations 2:20. It is His power that lasts and sustains us even unto death. Trusting in the power of the Holy Spirit simply means “the coach has got this covered.”
So why are the words power and love mentioned in the same sentence? Because love is power and knowledge is power and the foundational knowledge to grasp in this battle is of the power of love. Why? Because “perfect love casts out all fear.”
1 John 4:18 from the New King James Version (NKJV):
“There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love.”
Is it possible that love can win wars? Is it possible that love can be the foundation of our courage? Jesus won the war for all of us on the day He died on the cross. And why did He die on the cross? Because“greater love hath no man than to give up His life for a friend.” Even General Colin Powell said in the first Gulf War that, “the best way to destroy your enemy is to make him your friend.”
“For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.”
This ties it all together doesn’t it? A sound mind is the glue that binds all this together because. Fear can make you crazy. Think of all the ways that fear is used to control us. Where is most of that fear generated? The media in it’s various forms can be the greatest generator of anxiety and depression known to man and it’s one of satan’s most powerful tools.
Climate change is a perfect example. To drive an agenda, the legacy media pump out more and more fear of a climate catastrophe.
A rain depression that happens every year and more than once, is now given a title such as East Coast Low. A normal winter cold front is called an Arctic Blast. A heat wave that used to drive thousands to the beach for the day is now a Global Boiling Event. All these “events” come with all the associated dramatic warnings. Government political leaders will call a snap news conference and prattle on for fifteen minutes that culminates in the phrase, “we are urging all citizens to be safe!” Do we need to be told to do that? Isn’t that innate in all of us?
Think of the dramatic theme music that announces the arrival of the latest news bulletin. Look at the expressions on the faces of the news readers and the authoritarian tone in their voices. This tells us all we need to know.
But this dramatisation of normal every day occurrences is not just limited to legacy media. The new alternative news platforms are just as guilty of driving the opposite narrative using the same methods. Fear is the main driver of an evil agenda and there can be no doubt about it. How much news do we need? How much knowledge do we need? Do we really need to know everything?
Two phrases live with me daily.
- All the news in the world is of no use to fools, and
- People only drive us crazy if we give them the keys.
As Christians it all gets packaged in one simple knowing. God is in control and He is always good. Satan will do all he can to divert us away and criticise God to destabilise the eternal agenda of God, and all we have to do is choose.
Joshua 24:15 from the New King James Version (NKJV):
“And if it seems evil to you to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”
Questions.
- Do you spend too much time “mining for darkness” in search of more things to be concerned about?
- Can you begin to see how destructive this can be to your sound mind?
- Are you prepared now to Let Go And Let God knowing that He controls all the outcomes?
Prayer
Dear Lord, Papa God.
I can see clearly now that only You can keep me of a sound mind. In a world exploding with knowledge and useless information, please take away the back pack of anxiety that plagues me and weighs me down. Help me to live in the serenity prayer which I pray now Papa.”God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, Courage to change the things I can, And wisdom to know the difference. Living one day at a time, Enjoying one moment at a time, Accepting hardship as a pathway to peace, Taking, as Jesus did, This sinful world as it is, Not as I would have it, Trusting that You will make all things right, If I surrender to Your will, So that I may be reasonably happy in this life, And supremely happy with You forever in the next. In Jesus name we pray. Amen.”
Graham Hood
