October 6, 2009, "Fear to Faith"

"Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord."
~ I Corinthians 15:58 ~

"What then shall we say to these things? If God [is] for us, who [can be] against us?"
~ Romans 8:31 ~

"My brethern, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing."
~ James 1:2-4 ~

Though the giants attempt to come after me. I will not fear and I will not be moved. Not because of who I am, but because of who I am in Christ. For I know what they come after...they come after my faith. As they pursue my faith to attempt to destroy me; I will persevere and produce patience as I count it all joy. How do I count it all joy? On purpose I 'walk' in Joy of the Lord that is within me by the power of the Holy Spirit to rise up and out of me in the midst of great opposition.

If fear wants to push me then I will let it push me to faith in my God! Almighty God, Creator and my Provider, Who is More than Enough! He will and is sustaining me. He will strengthen me and is strengthening me at this moment. How? With His great Joy.

I love the definition of joy from the Greek:
For someone to be tied and bound, lying on the ground while a boulder is placed upon him/her slowly crushing him/her to death. When the joy of the Lord arises it is never under circumstances that produce happiness...it comes when great challenges are coming against us.

When we are being pressed from every side, the strength of God rises up when we allow His joy to come forth! Hallelujah! Praising God for Who He is in the midst of great adversity is the tool I want to use. Though I may walk through the shadow of death, as I fear no evil it is because I run to the Shadow of the Almighty who is my Refuge and My Strength, My Shield and My Buckler!

Thank You Lord for You are God. You are not a man that you should ever lie! Hallelujah!

I love the principles of how God's Kingdom works...it is the exact opposite of our logical way of doing things:

Examples:
By default when someone comes against us, it is natural to want to come against them.
By The Spirit of God when someone comes against us, it is His nature to love them, and pray for them.

By default when we hear a bad report, we receive the bad report, fear the bad report, cling to the bad report allowing it to annihilate us from every side.
By The Spirit of God when we hear a bad report, we receive the report of the Lord. We praise Him in the midst of the bad report as we watch His peace come from within and saturate us from the inside out.

By default when we are pressed from every side; we allow anxiety to overtake us.
By the Spirit of God when we are pressed from every side; the joy of the Lord is our great strength in the midst of what looks like great weakness.

By default when we are not able; we allow our ability to tell us who we are.
By the Spirit of God when we are not able; we allow His strength and ability to be made perfect in our weakness.