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3. Let us reject the spirit of fear. In Isaiah 41:10, the Lord says, "So do not fear, for I Am with you; do not be dismayed, for I Am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with My righteous right hand." In order to reject the spirit of fear, let us not focus our attention on the undesirable circumstances in our life—poverty, sickness, afflictions, and hopeless situations. Satan uses these things to sow fear, deception, and confusion in us. In Hebrews 12:2, we read, "Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, Who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God." Believe that God has the extraordinary power that is greater than any problem, and "...in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him Who loved us." (Romans 8:37). |
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In the Book of Numbers 13:2, God spoke to Moses, saying, "Send some men to explore the land of Canaan, which I Am giving to the Israelites. From each ancestral tribe send one of its leader." So, Moses sent Joshua and Caleb, together with ten others, to spy out the promised land according to the command of God. As they entered the southern part of the land of Canaan and into the Valley of Eshcol, they saw the Anakims, the descendants of the giants, living in a fortified city. Joshua and Caleb did not focus their attention on these, rather they fixed their eyes on the bountiful fruits of the land which flowed with milk and honey. On the other hand, the ten other spies focused their eyes on the strong giants. That's why, after exploring the land, they returned to Moses making a bad report on what they had seen, saying: "We went into the land to which you sent us, and it does flow with milk and honey! Here is its fruit. But the people who live there are powerful, and the cities are fortified and very large. We even saw descendants of Anak there" (Numbers 13:27-28). All night long the Israelites cried in distress. They complained against Moses and Aaron. But Joshua and Caleb, who were filled with the spirit of courage, said, "...The land we passed through and explored is exceedingly good... Only do not rebel against the Lord. And do not be afraid of the people of the land, because we will swallow them up. Their protection is gone, but the Lord is with us. Do not be afraid of them" (Numbers 14:7, 9). The Israelites succeeded in conquering the Promised Land, because Joshua and Caleb rejected the spirit of fear in their minds and possessed extraordinary courage through the Word of God. 4. Let us learn to be content with what we have. In Hebrews 13:5, we read, "Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have..." Contentment is a state of the heart and mind wherein we feel at peace regardless of our situation. It is not measured by the things we have. To have a hundred dollars with peace and joy in our hearts is worth more than having a million dollars accompanied by all sorts of trouble. For what does it profit a man if he has established businesses in Singapore, Tokyo, Manila, Hong Kong, USA, and Australia, yet he has no peace in his heart and mind? In 1 Timothy 6:7-8, we read, "For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that." |