God Can Do Anything!
"When the angel of the LORD appeared to Gideon, he said, 'The LORD is with you, mighty warrior!'" Judges 6:12
Do you believe God can do anything with you? It's easy to think that God can use someone else to do something great. But what if His plan is to help you to do something you never thought possible?
Me? Really? No, I'm not talented enough. No, I used to have dreams, but then I realized my limitations and settled into a good life. My life is full of little risk and that may mean little reward, but I'm okay with that... I can live with that. I may not accomplish my dreams, but who really accomplishes their dreams?
Sadly, that's the story that many of us believe to be our own story. And as comfortable and safe as it sounds...it will never allow you and I to be in a place where God can do great things with us. And He wants to do great things with us!
Fear is what keeps all of us from living the dreams that God continues to put in our hearts.
When we're afraid, we do, think, and say things we would never dream of doing, thinking, or saying. We often hurt ourselves and the people we love. We panic. We react uncharacteristically. We fall into seclusion. We run away or we wish we could. We settle. We give up.
But the most debilitating thing about fear is that it begins to shut out the voice of God. When we're overwhelmed by worry, or surrounded by people who make us afraid, it is very difficult to hear from God. So we forget to pray, and we begin to rely on ourselves or our instincts to find solutions to our problems. Without knowing it, the things we are afraid of begin to replace the loving and kind voice of God.
But... there is another way... I know this sounds crazy or maybe a little awkward. depending on where you're reading this, but say this next sentence out loud: God can do anything.
Did you say it? Come on now... even if you can't shout it just whisper it... God can do anything.
How did that feel? Hopefully freeing! You see, nothing we fear is more powerful than our living God. Did you hear that? Nothing you fear is more powerful than the God who loves you and created you to do great things.
In Judges 6:12, God showed up in unlikely, fearful Gideon's life and began to move him from fear to faith. In the same way, God wants to move you and I from our fears to faith in Him. Just as God patiently helped Gideon to move from an absent faith to one of strong confidence, He is patiently helping you and I to move there as well.
If you hold on to fear, it will continue to keep you from doing what He created you to do. As all-powerful and able as God is, we must be willing to trust Him above our fears in order for them to be rendered powerless. And that is an act of faith.
God wants to move you from fear to faith today. But, do you want to be moved? If you do, start by praying this when the fear comes... "God, I believe you can do anything so help me to believe that is true even in this." Then, start waiting for His loving and kind voice to bring you back to a place of faith in His ability to anything with you.
I hope you'll start here and then join us Sunday, March 25 to explore more about Gideon's journey to faith in God.
Being moved from fear with you,
Todd