Fear is the mind-killer
1 Kings 17:17 “Some time later the son of the woman who owned the house became ill. He grew worse and worse, and finally stopped breathing.”
I tell you, I’ve been waiting to write this devotion, I had already preached this sermon in my 5am Booster group zoom meeting, but since I was jampacked with work I was unable to write; nevertheless, this evening I came back from school and started typing the devotion. Ah, I feel nice….this is going to refresh you…
Some time later: The previous verse says, “For the jar of flour was not used up and the jug of oil did not run dry”, after an overflow, the next verse starts with ‘some time later’. Somebody needs to hear this today! Life is not going to be hunky-dory all the time, Some time later serious and severe problems are bound to come, how you are going to confront them depends on your knowledge of God and your past experience with God. There are times nothing…I mean nothing serious comes near your tent for a period of time, but it can knock your door even after 20 years. A young smart Engineer suddenly starts behaving weird in the office, speaks incoherent stuff and is thrown out of work and lands up at home clueless of what is happening in his life – mental illness had struck him. How do we handle such terrible stuff? Tell me. The above scripture says. ‘ the boy finally stopped breathing’. This is no fever or cough problem, the only son is dead. Naturally the mother is devastated and she says,’ What do you have against me, man of God? Did you come to remind me of my sin and kill my son?” Sadly she forgot the supernatural overflow of the jar of flour and the jug of oil, don’t we also behave ungratefully like this? We totally nullify all the miracles that we experienced in our life and we start doubting God. Someone said: “I must not fear. Fear is the mind-killer.”
“If we trust in our worry more than we trust God we are sinning by our lack of faith in God, who has given us the richness of His constant abiding presence, for those who put their faith in Him.” Rev Billy Graham
Let me take a digression here and tell you a hilarious incident that happened when I had to stay in the church premises during a week-long convention meeting organized by the church in a village. I was the main speaker on all the 3 days and I would be sleeping in a separate room (alone) attached to the church; however, the washroom was outside and I had to walk a bit in the dark to use it. So on the first day when I stepped out to go to the washroom, the surrounding area was very dark because there was empty bushes around the church and I heard heavy grunting sounds from the bushes, it was eerie and I wondered what it could be. Next day the pastor cooly told me that there are pigs which makes that noise in the night. Ha…ha..That’s exactly how some fear for no reason.
Look how Elijah handled the problem, he said, ‘Give me your son’, he did not say give me the body of your son. Clap hands for God! In order words he looked at that lady and said, ‘just give that problem to me, I will handle it.’ Phew, that’s the spirit of a true prophet of God! Say amen. You were anointed not to look at every problem, scream, weep and make a noise, you were called to look at the lost and tell them, ‘give me your problem.’ Amen. Elijah was confident of His connection with God and his anointing,’ he stretched himself out on the boy three times and cried out to the Lord, “Lord my God, let this boy’s life return to him!” Did you notice those words ‘my’ God? What your about to hear is epic, ‘the Lord heard Elijah’s cry, and the boy’s life returned to him.’ Say amen. How can God answer you and hear you instantly if you are someone who prays ONLY during times of emergency??? ABIDE WITH GOD ALWAYS!
Death is nothing for a man who trusts the Lord and His judgement!
