have you ever noticed how some tv commercials mix just enough truth with their product to make it believable? while that's called false advertisement...the product still comes off convincing...it's not until we purchase the product...and it fails...that the trickery becomes exposed...
in the same way...satan specializes in false advertisement...he's good at making our fears look real when they are not...does that mean all fears are wrong? i don't think so...the fear of standing near a high cliff protects us from getting to close to the edge and toppling over...on the other hand...satan's spooks are full of trickery...they are usually disabling and keep us from progress...this kind of false advertisement can choke our faith and fuel our fears...
have you ever wondered where our struggle between faith and fear began? i have...quite a bit lately...actually...fear was introduced to the human race by a satanic lie...
the garden is the first place where the serpent deceived eve by twisting God's word...the Lord told adam not to eat of any tree in the garden except the tree of knowledge of good and evil (genesis 2:16-17)...if he or eve ate from that tree...they would surely die spiritually...not only did eve eat the forbidden fruit...but she offered it to adam and he ate too...
as soon as adam disobeyed God...their relationship changed...adam was not only afraid...but he doubted God's authority, friendship, and provision...satan's lie told adam that he didn't need God...in fact...adam was persuaded that he could be his own god...self-sufficient in every way...
the same can be true for you and me...at times...you and i live independent of God's presence...we act as if everything depends on us...we wouldn't dare admit that we are in over our heads...we want to appear in control...but God never meant for you and me to be strong in and of ourselves...we were meant to show His strength in our weakness as He provides for our needs...we were created to live like little children...dependent on the care our heavenly Father...
the times we insist on living life our way...in our own strength...we experience the same result as adam and eve...we will live in fear...and this is right where satan wants us...
if we're afraid to try...we never will...if the enemy can keep us contained by fear...we won't be able to fulfill our potential or make a difference in the life of another...satan knows what we are capable of with Christ...to prevent us from that realization...he poisons us with fear...
the truth is what we fear rarely comes to pass...this kind of fear that is fueled by satan's lies can be described by this acrostic:
false
evidence
appearing
real
it's not that we shouldn't be concerned about certain issues of life such as safety and health...but when worrying takes over by keeping us up at night and shutting us down during the day...we've moved into a place we were never meant to live...we must return to living in God's presence and relying on His promises and provision...only then will we be able to distinguish between truth and lies...only then will our lives be marked by faith...and not fear...
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