Immune to fear

Day 42: God Sees More in You Than You See in Yourself

The Bible describes the Midianites as a nation of “grasshoppers” (Judg. 7:12). Whenever the harvest was ripe, they would descend upon Israel’s fields and crops in vast numbers like a swarm of locusts, leaving nothing in their wake but destruction and desolation. The Israelites went on the defensive, hunkering down in caves, hiding in the mountains, and building protective strongholds. The nervous harvesters quickly reaped what they could and hid it away in anticipation of an imminent invasion.  

God had a plan to deliver Israel from the hand of Midian, and He had chosen just the man for the job, but God’s choice seemed highly unlikely. Gideon was not a superhero by any stretch of the imagination. He was a victim of his society’s ills, a man who had been influenced by the climate of cowardice that had crippled and enslaved the Israelites. He was such a prisoner of fear that he would hide in a winepress to thresh his small harvest of wheat (Judg. 6:11).  

A winepress is no place to thresh wheat; it’s like washing your clothes in the dishwasher. But Gideon had chosen this inappropriate place because he was afraid of the Midianites. He was afraid of losing his harvest and his life, so he hid both underground. It was in this dungeon of fear that the Lord found Gideon, frustrated, trembling, and perspiring.  

“And the Angel of the Lord appeared to him and said to him, The Lord is with you, you mighty man of [fearless] courage.” —JUDGES 6:12, AMP  

No one would have anticipated the Lord’s declaration that day. “Gideon,” the Lord says, “you are a mighty man of fearless courage!” Where others saw a coward, God saw a deliverer! I’m so glad God doesn’t see us the way we so often see ourselves. When we look in the mirror, we might see someone who is undereducated or inexperienced. We might see someone who belongs to the wrong social class, race, or gender. We might see someone who is too young or too old. And there are always a million excuses why God can’t use us. But God sees more in us than we see in ourselves, and our obstacles, failures, and shortcomings do not intimidate Him. Why? Because though we are weak, He is strong!  

2 Corinthians 12:9 says, “And He has said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.” Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me.”  

In the winepress we find a trembling, perspiring coward hiding for his life when the Angel of the Lord appears to Gideon and calls him a “mighty man of [fearless] courage.” At first those words almost sound like cruel sarcasm, but there was no smirk on the angel’s face. God was not mocking Gideon, nor did He have Gideon confused with someone else. God saw something in Gideon that no one else saw, including Gideon himself. How comforting it is to know that God’s ways are not our ways and His thoughts are not our thoughts. Oh, my friend, when you understand what God sees when He looks at you, it will change your life. 

Source: (Live Before You Die: Wake up to God's Will for Your Life pg. 11-14.) 

A 60-day Bible Study

Immune to fear

Day 1: Getting Stronger!

We are living in a remarkable time. I have never seen the entire world so gripped by fear and uncertainty. The pundits and prophets are all weighing…

Immune to fear

Day 2: “It Is Written!”

Do you ever notice that sometimes it seems as if you’re on a spiritual high? You’re tangibly feeling the presence of God, receiving fresh revelation,…

Immune to fear

Day 3: The Victory that has Overcome the World!

The bible says, “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, and of love and of a sound mind.” (2 Timothy 1:7)

This scripture makes it…

Immune to fear

Day 4: The Word is Our Source of Faith!

Jesus specializes in troubleshooting every type of problem known to mankind! He is our Lord and savior, our provider, our healer, our shepherd, our…

Immune to fear

Day 5: Faith Without Questions or Qualifiers!

Fear and unbelief are not intellectual responses, but emotional responses of the heart from a lack of faith in God. Meaning the root of unbelief isn’t…

Immune to fear

Day 6: The Fear of the Lord

In the Bible we learn some fear is good and some is bad. The books of Psalms and Proverbs speak of “the fear of the Lord” as a virtue fourteen times!

Immune to fear

Day 7: The Name Above all Names!

We believe and proclaim that Jesus is the name above all other names. Therefore, it is important for us to know what is in His name. We begin to find…

Immune to fear

Day 8: A Weapon Against Fear

Purpose is a powerful weapon against fear. What gave thousands of young men the courage to storm the beaches of Normandy on June 6, 1944, also known…

Immune to fear

Day 9: The Remedy!

Evangelist Reinhard Bonnke once shared a story about a man who told him that he also was a “spiritual counselor.” However, the man did not believe…

Immune to fear

Day 10: The Anointing!

The Lord’s anointed ones are full of active faith! They won’t back down to the voice of fear or the appearance of impending destruction.

We read in…

Immune to fear

Day 11: Pick Up Your Weapons!

Where are our weapons? Paul wrote, “Stir up the gift of God which is in you” (2 Tim. 1:6). He instructed, “Stir up.” This word has to do with fire—the…

Immune to fear

Day 12: Fear is a Phantom!

Do you know, with absolute assurance, that you have joined the winning side?

Then you will not be harassed by fear.

There is no way a believer can…

Immune to fear

Day 13: Dressed for Battle

The Bible uses military analogies to describe the way in which followers of Jesus are to prepare for attacks from the devil, whether they come in the…

Immune to fear

Day 14: The Safest Place on Earth – “In Christ”

The opposite of fear is faith. But what is true faith? Wholeheartedly trusting Christ Jesus is real faith. We trust Christ in a way that is deeper…

Immune to fear

Day 15: God’s Plan for Your Health.

We often take good health for granted—until something threatens it! Unfortunately, so many people are experiencing sickness and disease right now,…

Immune to fear

Day 16: The Faith of Abraham

The Bible names Abraham 309 times, but because of his faith, his name is inscribed upon the whole of the Middle East and upon world history to this…

Immune to fear

Day 17: You Are Immune to the Curse!

Fear plays into the hands of the devil. The truth is, he can do no real damage, except to make us fear that he can. The devil is a con artist. Try as…

Immune to fear

Day 18: Stay Focused

Wherever your heart, eyes, and mind are set, is where the rest of you will end up eventually. We become whatever we behold. There was an article in…

Immune to fear

Day 19: You Have the Superior Force!

The man who lives in fear is the devil’s ally—whether he likes it or not. The fearful help Satan accomplish his plans in the earth. Fear is an…

Immune to fear

Day 20: The Ant and the Elephant

God’s children should be bold. Take the parents of Moses for example,

“By faith Moses, when he was born, was hidden three months by his parents,…

Immune to fear

Day 21: God is Not in Hiding!

Some people believe that God has distanced Himself from mankind. They view Him as being withdrawn, uninvolved, and even apathetic towards His…

Immune to fear

Day 22: Stand on the Solid Rock

We are commonly told today to keep an open mind about our beliefs and how we interpret the word of God. We are told to never be dogmatic. Some have no…

Immune to fear

Day 23: God’s Promises are Reliable

“Not one of the good promises which the Lord had made to the house of Israel failed; all came to pass.” (Joshua 21:45)

Immune to fear

Day 24: Anchored by Hope

Due to the Coronavirus, in just a short span of time, the entire world has had to adjust to a new lifestyle of being quarantined. Everyone has been…

Immune to fear

Day 25: The Testing of Your Faith

The scripture tells us that the testing and trial of our faith will come, and it also tells us why… 1 Peter 1:7 says, “So that the tested genuineness…

Immune to fear

Day 26: Do Not Be Afraid; Only Believe

The Lord moves in action on our behalf when we pray and believe!

“So, Jesus answered and said to them, “Have faith in God. For assuredly, I say to…

Immune to fear

Day 27: I AM with You!

One of the most deeply rooted beliefs (actually, “unbeliefs”) is that God’s presence is greater with some than with others. We make up all kinds of…

Immune to fear

Day 28: Don’t Panic.

It takes more than survival skills to survive a crisis. For example, the ability to survive in a physical wilderness takes more than the skills to…

Immune to fear

Day 29: Who’s Got Your Back?

Ever since the Coronavirus began to spread across the planet, government officials and health care experts have all asked that we practice “social…

Immune to fear

Day 30: The Comforter

Who is a more faithful comrade in hardships than the Holy Spirit? Whose friendship is more valuable during troubled times than the most wonderful,…