NOTICE: The following article
is written by the author itself and not by me, I am not trying to violate their
copyright. I will give some information on them.
PAGE TITLE: CBN Daily Devotional
ARTICLE TITLE: Deal with Your Fears
and Unbelief
DATE: N.A
AUTHOR: David Wilkerson
AUTHOR
INFORMATION:
David Ray Wilkerson (May 19,
1931 – April 27, 2011) was an American Christian evangelist, best known for his
book The Cross and the Switchblade. He was the founder of the addiction
recovery program Teen Challenge, and founding pastor of the non-denominational Times
Square Church in New York.
Wilkerson's widely distributed sermons, such
as "A Call to Anguish," are known for being direct and frank. He
emphasized such Christian beliefs as God's holiness and righteousness, God's
love toward humans and especially Christian views of Jesus. Wilkerson tried to
avoid categorizing Christians into distinct groups according to the denomination
to which they belong.
Wilkerson was killed in a car crash in Texas
on April 27, 2011.
 |
| David Wilkerson |
|
Israel
had fallen into idolatry but their root sin was still unbelief and fear. In His
mercy, God sent them a prophet to expose their root sin.
The
prophet told them, "Look at you—a bunch of wimps, hiding out, afraid to stand
up and fight. You've already given up. But you have a history of God's
deliverance! He gave your fathers great victories, and He has promised to
deliver you too—yet you don't believe Him!" (see Judges
6:8–10).
Many
Christians are terrified the devil is going to destroy them. They are afraid
they will make a mistake or go back to their sin. But that is a lie from the
pit of hell! The Bible says you do not have to be terrified as you walk through
this life.
When
you hold on to fear, it becomes contagious. When Gideon gathered his army, God
told him to send home every fearful soldier: "Whoever is fearful and
afraid, let him turn and depart ... and twenty-two thousand of the people
returned." (see Judges
7:3).
God
is speaking the same word to His Church today, asking, "Why do you fear?
Why do you sin by not trusting Me to bring victory into your life? I have
promised to defeat every demonic power that comes against you."
Gideon's
father, Joash, had erected statues of Baal and the goddess Asherah from huge
stones for the people to worship. This became a powerful, demonic stronghold in
Israel. God told Gideon, "I am not going to deliver Israel until you get
rid of these idols. Lay them aside, Gideon. Cut them down."
God
is giving His Church today the same message: "You are full of fear. And
before I bring deliverance, you must pull down this stronghold, this besetting
sin!"
"Lay
aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us" (Hebrews
12:1). Victory comes by praying in faith, expecting God to answer.
You
Are God's Treasure
The
Word says, "And an adulteress will prey upon his precious life" (Proverbs
6:26). The adulteress spoken of in this verse is Satan—and he hunts down
those who are precious to God.
The
Bible gives us a vivid illustration of this in Numbers
13 and 14. Israel had sent twelve spies to search out the Promised Land.
When the spies returned after forty days, ten of them planted three lies in the
hearts of God's people:
1.
"There are too many people in the land. They are too strong for us."
2. "The cities are walled too high. The strongholds are impregnable."
3. "There are giants in the land, and we are no match for them. We're
helpless, finished!"
These
lies took the heart right out of Israel. Scripture says the people endured a
night of despair. "So all the congregation lifted up their voices and
cried, and the people wept that night" (Numbers
14:1). More than 2 million people were weeping, wailing, moaning—focused
completely on their weaknesses and inabilities.
Beloved,
the devil still lies to God's people today. He whispers, "Your trials and
temptations are too overwhelming. You are too weak to resist the power coming
against you."
The
word that God spoke to Israel is for us today: "You shall be a special
treasure to Me above all people: for all the earth is Mine" (Exodus
19:5). "For you are a holy people to the LORD your God, and the LORD
has chosen you to be a people for Himself, a special treasure" (Deuteronomy
14:2).
Joshua
and Caleb had a revelation of their preciousness in God's eyes. They said,
"Because He delights in us, the land is as good as ours" (see Numbers
14:8).
David
had the same revelation: "He delivered me because He delighted in me"
(Psalm
18:19). Likewise, every victorious Christian today has this same
revelation: "We cannot fail—because we are precious to the Lord!"
World
Challenge, Inc. © 2012. Used by permission.
