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How to Overcome Fear
by Dr. Paul Chappell
“If thou shalt say in thine heart, These nations are more than I; how can I dispossess them? Thou shalt not be afraid of them: but shalt well remember what the LORD thy God did unto Pharaoh, and unto all Egypt; The great temptations which thine eyes saw, and the signs, and the wonders, and the mighty hand, and the stretched out arm, whereby the LORD thy God brought thee out: so shall the LORD thy God do unto all the people of whom thou art afraid.”
Deuteronomy 7:17–19
Winston Churchill was famous for his ability as a public speaker to grab an audience and inspire them. One of his most famous addresses was given at the boarding school he had attended as a boy, Harrow School, which had been badly damaged by German bombers during the Blitz on London. Churchill knew that he was speaking to a nation facing a powerful foe as well as to the young boys seated before him. At the conclusion of his address, Churchill said, “This is the lesson: never give in, never give in, never, never, never, never—in nothing, great or small, large or petty—never give in except to convictions of honour and good sense. Never yield to force; never yield to the apparently overwhelming might of the enemy.”
The Christian life is a battle, not a pleasure cruise. And in those battles, we often face powerful foes. The temptation we face is to focus on our enemies rather than on God, and when we give in to that temptation, we will find our hearts filled with fear. This is what happened to the Israelites when they heard the report from the ten spies about the giants in the land. Despite what Joshua and Caleb said, they refused to trust God. Fear, and the disobedience that followed because of it kept Israel in the wilderness for forty years, without the victory God would have given.
Deuteronomy 7:17–19
Winston Churchill was famous for his ability as a public speaker to grab an audience and inspire them. One of his most famous addresses was given at the boarding school he had attended as a boy, Harrow School, which had been badly damaged by German bombers during the Blitz on London. Churchill knew that he was speaking to a nation facing a powerful foe as well as to the young boys seated before him. At the conclusion of his address, Churchill said, “This is the lesson: never give in, never give in, never, never, never, never—in nothing, great or small, large or petty—never give in except to convictions of honour and good sense. Never yield to force; never yield to the apparently overwhelming might of the enemy.”
The Christian life is a battle, not a pleasure cruise. And in those battles, we often face powerful foes. The temptation we face is to focus on our enemies rather than on God, and when we give in to that temptation, we will find our hearts filled with fear. This is what happened to the Israelites when they heard the report from the ten spies about the giants in the land. Despite what Joshua and Caleb said, they refused to trust God. Fear, and the disobedience that followed because of it kept Israel in the wilderness for forty years, without the victory God would have given.
Today’s Growth Principle:
If you recognize God’s power available to you, you will not be overcome by fears of any foe.
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