09/19/2024
The Devil is NOT In Hell...
NO! The devil is not in hell. He is in our MINDS.
And one of the biggest strategies the adversary uses is WORRY. Why do people worry?
Simply put, people are trying to control an uncontrollable situation. We worry about uncertain future events, wanting to be sure they turn out well. So often, the things we worry about never happen. I heard the late, great Evangelist R.W. Schambach say, "Worry is the interest we pay on problems that haven't happened." Does that really make sense? No. But we do it. It's what I call, "A Bad Case of 'What If'."
Friends, God wants us to have peace of mind, not a piece of mind. But, how do we have serenity in a world full of chaos? Too many folks are focusing on, "What if this happens. What if that happens? "
The word "if" is a very small word, but it carries a lot of weight - heavy weight, burdens. In other words, too much worry is going on. Fear is running rampant.
In my mini-book, "Don't Worry. Be Happy," I spend a lot more time on this subject. I encourage you to purchase your copy and leave satan's playground. Get off his roller coaster: one day up, next day down. Get off his seesaw: up and down. Get off his merry-go-round. You are going around and around and you ain't happy. Beware of his giant slide. Whatever you do - DON'T BACKSLIDE.
A Bad Case of “What if?”©
By Dr. Mary Edwards
God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind” (2 Timothy 1:7). Worry is fear. New things have a tendency to frighten us. We are afraid of the unknown. So we must pray about everything and fear nothing. The only thing we should fear is fear itself. Faith is released through prayer. When fear comes knocking at the door, faith had better answer. We need to watch for everything that steals our righteousness, our peace, and our joy. Talk back to the spirit of fear.
At the time of this writing, we are going through Coronavirus 19. The world is in turmoil. But God wants us to have peace of mind, not a piece of mind. Too many folks are focusing on, “What if this happens. What if that happens?” The word “if” is a very small word, but it carries a lot of weight – heavy weight, burdens. In other words, too much worry is going on. Fear is running rampant. So let me pull up some of the roots of this emotion “fear of what if.”
What is fear? To begin with, fear is a deadly emotion. The Bible says that in the last days men’s hearts will fail them because of fear (Luke 21:26). Look around. There are plenty of reasons for one to fear were it not for our relationship with Jesus Christ and His promises, one of which is to keep us in perfect peace. (Isaiah 26:3)
Fear is having “faith” in the word that the enemy has spoken to us, individually, standing on it and waiting, knowing that it will come to pass. We do not do this knowingly; but that is what happens. When we believe the lies of the enemy, we find ourselves responding to people and to situations in such a way that our response actually brings about that thing which we fear. Job said, “For what I fear comes upon me, and what I dread befalls me” (Job 3:25). Job had a bad case of “What if.”
Fear really is believing that the enemy is in control and that he has as much if not more power than God. Fear does not help us fight against the enemy. It agrees with him because he is the author of fear. It is not part of the armor of God described by Paul in Ephesians 6:11-17. Fear is the enemy’s most deceptive weapon because we believe it is our human emotion.
Let me give you a personal example. One summer morning, many years ago, prior to arising from a night’s sleep, I was suddenly stirred awake by the loudest clap of thunder I’ve ever heard in my lifetime. Fear immediately gripped my heart. Truthfully speaking, my first thought was, “God is mad at this old world and He is breaking through the sky and returning!” My second thought was to hide. (I’m being very honest!) My third thought was, “Why should I be afraid? Why should I hide? Surely, I want God to find me doing what I should be doing when He returns.”
I quickly recovered, and turned on the television to see what the newscasters had to say. Indeed, they gave a thunderstorm warning. I said my morning prayers and began my day with the peace of God that passes all understanding. (Philippians 4:7)
Fear is a universal emotion and has been around since the beginning of time. We first read about it in Genesis 3:10. It tells us that Adam was afraid when God spoke to him because he had sinned. Fear can be defined as the sensation that makes you believe that you are in danger and that something bad is about to happen. Here we go again with “What if.”
There is an emotion of fear that is good. It is that which rises up within us when a rattlesnake slithers through the grass in front of our feet or when we hear an unfamiliar sound in the house in the middle of the night. It is what causes us to run from a burning building. This fear is self-preservation. Perhaps a respect for danger would best describe it. This could be called “normal fear.” That is not what I am writing about here. What I'm talking about is the “What if” disease. This is being troubled by things that haven't even happened and may never happen!
Fear, dread, and worry are triplets. Another word for fear is dread. Dread steals joy. Dread comes for a two-fold purpose: to torment and to prevent. The devil uses dread to keep you from the blessings of God and to keep you out of His will. Many times in the Bible when the Lord called people to do great things, He said, “Fear not.” Fear is not from God. Say these words with me”
BIG GOD, little devil
Finally, chill out. Breathe deeply. Just concentrate on the moment before you. You can't know what's ahead and, even if you did, you wouldn't be able to see how it will work out. You'll be okay. Trust that you'll be okay.
“Thou will keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on thee, because he trusteth
in thee. Trust ye in the Lord forever; for in the Lord Jehovah is everlasting strength”
(Isaiah 26:3‐4).
Dear Friends:
If you read any of this and it helped you, please help us. For 20 years, I have been helping widows. There are more now than ever before. We need YOUR help. Please go to our website now and give us a tax-deductible gift. We need office equipment and transportation. BUT, any gift large or small, will be appreciated. Please do it now. We need you. www.widowswithwisdom.com
Dr. Mary Edwards can be reached at (313) 492-0149
or email her at [email protected]
Dr. Mary Edwards founder of Widows with Wisdom Ministry is a Christian author and speaker and lecturer.
