Heart Trouble
But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God. I Corinthians 2:9,10.
While there are many factors that can be detrimental to our physical heart, did you know a "fearful heart" is one of the major reasons for so many of our heart ailments?
The Bible teaches us, The wicked flee when NO man pursueth... Proverbs 28:1. Most of us have known someone such as this. Their actions are dictated by paranoia; they are suspicious of everyone and everything about them. They move about in a furtive manner, constantly "looking over their shoulder". Every knock on the door sends them into a state of panic. Because they know what they have done, they live in constant fear of being found or "found out" by others. However, most of us have also known those who profess to be "Christians", yet they seem to operate under a similar paranoia as the unrighteous. We don't mean "fearful" as living in fear (respect) of the Lord. We are referring to the gripping, deadly fear that can devastate a person's existence. Instead of their hope and trust and faith being firmly rooted and grounded in Jesus, they are so bound by fear, they cannot go about their daily lives with any normalcy. The written Word of God tells us, Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. Philippians 4:1. The NIV states that scripture this way: "Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about EVERYTHING; tell God your needs and don't forget to thank him for his answers."
Understand this: fear NEVER travels alone! It has two CONSTANT companions: doubt and confusion. Doubt is the opposite of FAITH. But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God MUST believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. Hebrews 11:6. That doesn't mean just faith that there is "a god". It doesn't mean faith just "in God". It means also having faith in the promises that He has given to all those who call Him, "Father"! And then there's confusion--not being able to make decisions for ourselves, or constantly worrying about the decisions we have made. We need to remember: For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace... I Corinthians 14:33. So if God is NOT the author of confusion, that tells us who is: the enemy of our souls. Confusion is inner turmoil, which spills over into our daily activities. It not only affects the relationships we have with those around us, it also has a direct bearing on how we conduct our daily business and personal affairs. Certainly, evil abounds in this world of ours today, YET we have the assurance, For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. II Timothy 1:7. None of us wish to rush to the grave! MANY risks and close encounters could be avoided if we would but strive to use the sound mind that God gave us! Nor do any of us wish to become victims of those that are bent on doing evil. Yet, we cannot be so caught up in/by/of the world that we operate under the oppressive darkness of fear. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. Romans 12:2. James 4:4 tells us that "friendship of the world is enmity with God". Enmity means "the quality of being an enemy, hostility". It goes on to say "whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God". Submit yourselves therefore to God. RESIST (as opposed to following or giving in to) the devil, and he will FLEE from you. DRAW NIGH TO GOD, and HE WILL DRAW NIGH TO YOU. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye DOUBLE MINDED. James 4:7,8. And further to the point, A double minded man is unstable in all his ways. James 1:8.
"Double-minded". Trying to go with what the world says, but all the while knowing in our hearts that God wants us to follow Him and His dictates to us! We need to get it FIXED in our hearts and minds who we are going to believe in/follow/trust! So in Whom are we going to trust? The world and the things of the world? They are NOT eternal, but they can certainly affect our decision about where we will spend eternity! While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal. II Corinthians 4:18. The Living Bible puts it this way: "So we do not look at what we can see right now, the troubles all around us, but we look forward to the joys in heaven which we have not yet seen. The troubles will soon be over, but the joys to come will last forever." We MUST make up our minds, my friends, to trust our Heavenly Father, Who tells us in His Word, For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end. Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you. And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart. Jeremiah 29:11-13. Or are we going to allow fear to dictate our existence in this life??
Fear is debilitating: it can so twist our thinking that we lose the ability to reason and make responsible decisions. There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love. I John 4:18. God promises us But whoso hearkeneth unto me shall dwell safely, and shall be quiet from fear of evil. Proverbs 1:33. When thou liest down, thou shalt not be afraid: yea, thou shalt lie down, and thy sleep shall be sweet. Be not afraid of sudden fear, neither of the desolation of the wicked, when it cometh. For the Lord shall be thy confidence, and shall keep thy foot from being taken. Proverbs 3:24-26. Say to them that are of a fearful heart, Be strong, fear not: behold, your God will come with vengeance, even God with a recompence; he will come and save you. Isaiah 35:4. If you are living with a fearful heart and truly do not know the reason(s) for it, ask the Lord to show you what is there. If there is something in your life that needs to be removed, ask God to take it from you (and then you turn loose of it and DON'T pick it up again!). If you have something against someone, make it right. Study the Bible and accept that His promises are indeed "yea and amen" to them that believe.
(all emphasis on scriptures, such as bold, underline or uppercase, is mine) "Heart Trouble" Copyright © 2001 by Patricia Sikes. All Rights Reserved.
I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust. Psalm 91:2. The name of the Lord is a strong tower: the righteous runneth into it, and is safe. Proverbs 18:10.
I Am The God That Healeth Thee
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