There's GIANTS in the Land!

BULLIES (and boys) were abundant in my neighborhood when I was a child.  I survived by becoming a "tomboy."  I could play football and wrestle with the best of them!  But there always seemed to be a "bully" around every corner who wanted to "challenge" me to a fight.  If I tried to walk away, it only made it worse.  So I soon learned to stand up to the bully and not back down!  When I did that, most of them backed away--but if I had to fight, I only had to fight them ONCE.  Well, I gained quite a reputation 'cause I won all the fights (except against my brother, who was 5 years older than me).  I never started a fight, but I sure could end one!

That childhood experience taught me to face my FEARS!  I've learned that the things we fear are the GIANTS in our lives....we generally imagine them to be bigger than they really are.  David (as a boy) faced a BIG GIANT (Goliath) when a whole army, along with King Saul, drew back in fear.  Why did David defeat such a big opponent?  Because he had FAITH!  Faith overcomes fear!  FEAR, DOUBT, and UNBELIEF are what cause us to "draw back" and be defeated.

Hebrews 10:38 says, "The just shall live by FAITH; but if anyone DRAWS BACK, My soul has no pleasure in him."

Do I still have fears to face?  You bet I do!  Do I sometimes "draw back" and not face them?  Sometimes, but eventually I remember that verse.  Then I "encourage myself in the Lord," as did David, and move out in faith.  Given the option of running in fear and disappointing the Lord, I choose to face my fear and (with God on my side) overcome it.  The fear still looks gigantic, but I go (forward) by FAITH and not by what I see in the natural!

Moving forward s-t-r-e-t-c-h-e-s my faith.  Mark 9:24 says, "I believe, but help me with my unbelief!  We're all "a work in progress!"  I have just so much faith for today, but I'm gonna need more faith tomorrow!

GO ON WITH GOD....GROW IN FAITH...and remember, "Perfect LOVE casts out fear! "  [I John 4:18]  God's love is perfect....ours has to be perfected!