PEOPLE OFTEN BECOME fearful when diagnosed with a life-threatening illness. I’ve seen fear grip people’s hearts when doctors tell them nothing more can be done for them medically.
I understand what it’s like to receive bad news from a doctor. When I was 13, I was having severe headaches and found out I had a brain tumor. It was about the size of my fist and was located at the base of my skull.
When the doctor talked to my parents and me, he told us he had to operate immediately. As he explained the surgery to us, he said he was concerned about how close the tumor was to my brain stem. If he touched the brain stem during surgery, I would die. The good news, however, was that the survival rate for this type of surgery was 80 percent.
As a 13-year-old, I didn’t immediately focus on the 80 percent chance that everything would be OK. Thoughts of fear bombarded my mind, and I focused on the 20 percent chance that I might die.
I thank God I was taught well. I took authority over the fear and cast it from my mind. I made myself think on God’s Word and the 80 percent chance of going through the surgery without complications. The operation was textbook perfect. The surgeon removed most of the tumor, and God removed the rest. I was completely healed.
The Enemy of Faith
Fear is an enemy of faith. It will stop the power of God from working in our lives. Faith is having an unquestioning belief in God. Fear, on the other hand, makes us question and ask things such as, “Will I make it?” Faith doesn’t question. It has complete confidence and trust in God.
Second Timothy 1:7 (NKJV) says, “God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.” Fear is not from God; it’s from the devil. And fear is a big hindrance that keeps people from receiving their healing. They may start out in faith, but when fear grabs a hold of their hearts, their faith begins to sputter.
The devil often tries to put thoughts in our minds when we’re alone. It’s easy to become fearful when nobody is around to pray with us or encourage us. James, the brother of Jesus, told us that when we resist the devil, he will flee (James 4:7). One way we can resist him is by not allowing ourselves to think about things that are contrary to God’s Word. Or as Second Corinthians 10:5 says, by “casting down” these types of thoughts.
When fear tries to come on us, we simply have to say, “Satan, you have no right or authority to put a spirit of fear on me. I command fear to leave now, in the Name of Jesus.”
Praising God at Midnight
Let’s follow Paul and Silas’ example when they were thrown in jail. At midnight, they began to pray and sing praises to God (Acts 16:25).
Although Paul and Silas were praising God at the midnight hour, “midnight” can happen at any time of the day. For example, we can learn of bad news in the middle of the day. Suddenly, things can seem to close in on us, and it feels like midnight.
And like Paul and Silas, we need to sing praises to God during our midnight hour. It’s hard for us to feel bad when we’re worshiping and praising God. That’s because we’re reminding ourselves of how good God is. We’re remembering that He will never leave us nor forsake us (Heb. 13:5) and that He is always there for us.
When Paul and Silas began to praise God, a great earthquake swung open the prison doors and loosed the shackles that bound the prisoners (Acts 16:26).
Anytime we receive bad news from a doctor, let’s remember that the Greater One dwells on the inside of us (1 John 4:4). No matter what the doctor says, the peace of God that passes all understanding can keep our hearts and minds (Phil. 4:7). Things that may be impossible with men are possible with God
(Luke 18:27). We don’t have to fear because God is on our side, and He will see us through.
Peace in the Midst of a Storm
The Book of Matthew records a time when Jesus and his disciples were in a boat when a violent storm arose. Although the disciples had already seen Jesus raise the dead, heal the sick, and cast out demons, they became fearful. They thought they were going to die. Jesus was sound asleep when the disciples woke Him up and said, “Lord, save us! We are perishing!” (Matt. 8:25 NKJV).
When Jesus awoke, the disciples’ alarming words didn’t frighten Him. Instead, He rebuked them for being afraid, and then He rebuked the storm: “ ‘Why are you fearful, O you of little faith?’ Then he arose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm” (Matt. 8:26 NKJV).
Today, Jesus lives in us (Rom. 8:9–11). No matter where we go, He is with us. When the storms of life surround us, we can rebuke them in Jesus’ Name and expect a great calm to settle on us.
Author
Craig W. Hagin
Share this Post