Psalm 55: 1- 8
Listen to my prayer, O God, do not ignore my plea; hear me and answer me.
My thoughts trouble me and I am distraught because of what my enemy is saying, because of the threats of the wicked; for they bring down suffering on me and assail me in their anger.
My heart is in anguish within me; the terrors of death have fallen on me.
Fear and trembling have beset me; horror has overwhelmed me.
I said, “Oh, that I had the wings of a dove! I would fly away and be at rest.
I would flee far away and stay in the desert; I would hurry to my place of shelter, far from the tempest and storm.”
“I would flee far away and stay in the desert (or at the beach, or in the mountains); I would hurry to my place of shelter, far from the tempest and storm.” Have you ever felt that way? I know I have. Sometimes everything is so bleak and hopeless … and scary … that all I’ve wanted to do is run.
This is exacerbated when I watch a lot of news! I think it is good to stay informed, but 24×7… NO!
We live in a fallen world. Adam and Eve’s sin did not just affect them, but their children – all generations – and all of creation. The earth, the animals, everything was now out of His Perfect Plan and would no longer function accordingly. There was no sickness, no death, no decay, no hurricanes, no storms, no animals eating other animals or people – until after their disobedience. EVERYTHING AND EVERYONE WAS AFFECTED. The authority God gave Adam and Eve to have dominion over the earth was gone. They’d given it to Satan – the lying snake – and he’s wrecked havoc at every opportunity.
That is why Jesus had to come and die on the cross to redeem mankind. He paid the full price to redeem us from sin, to buy us back out of slavery. But we still see the consequences in this world. That is why Jesus told us to pray, “Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.”
The enemy has been defeated, but he still holds on to territory. Just like when the Israelites were given the Promised Land. It was theirs, but they had to take it from the current occupants. Just to be clear, these were people involved in worshiping idols, including child sacrifice! We also need to pray for God’s kingdom rule to reach the ends of the earth, starting right within us.
We cannot do that if we run and hide. We are to be ambassadors of His kingdom here on earth. We are to affect the culture around us. We are to be the sweet fragrance of Jesus HERE. 2 Corinthians 2:14-16 says,
“But thanks be to God, who … uses us to spread the aroma of the knowledge of him everywhere. For we are to God the pleasing aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing. To the one we are an aroma that brings death; to the other, an aroma that brings life.
But what if we are too afraid? Why else would we like to run and hide?
Fear is one of the chief tools of the enemy, Satan. Here are just a few verses on not being afraid.
- For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline. 2 Timothy 1:7
- So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. Isaiah 41:10
- “Do not call conspiracy everything this people calls a conspiracy; do not fear what they fear, and do not dread it. Isaiah 8:12
We have a choice. Do we walk in trust, or do we walk in fear. We can trust God, be where He has called us to be. Even if our knees are knocking on the outside, our hearts can be steady and strong on the inside.
How can we do this? Two words … BUT GOD.
One of the Names of God is El Elyon. Most High God. God is bigger, stronger, smarter – higher in every way – than everything the enemy can throw at us. We must turn our focus from what we see in the world, to what is really true. God is on our side. He loves us… He loves the whole world. (John 3:16) And Satan has been defeated. Read the end of the Book.
Numbers 16:41-50
See this Post here