Abednego

Psalm 56:3, “Whenever I am afraid, I will trust in You”

Ephesians 6:15, 16, "And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked"
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One of Satan’s agenda is to fill the believer’s mind with doubts and fears. As a young boy, Billy was alone in the darkness of his upstairs room. Bedtime had come and he was to go to sleep, but he couldn’t. He pulled the blankets tightly up to his nose and peered over the top of them, not moving a muscle. His breathing was rapid; his heart was pounding in his chest. Though the baby-sitter was right below his room on the first floor, however, she seemed to be miles away. She was totally unaware of the nightmare on Franklin Street, which was occurring just above her head. That night, as happened quite often, creatures from the dark side came to get him. He knew they were in his room because now and then their shadows would appear on the wall. He could hear noises from the roof where they often waited until they could sneak in through the window. They loved to hide in the closet and attic, both of which opened into his room. He was sure of that because he could hear the floorboards creaking from within. He lay there, staring into the dark, with eyes as big as basketballs. Though he didn’t want to see the attacker, neither did he want to close his eyes, and be an unsuspecting victim. Suddenly there were loud footsteps in the hallway outside his door. He knew the end was near. In a moment, some cold-blooded child murderer would burst through the door and maul him. The door began to open, giving a squeaky warning. A gloved hand came around the corner. Where could he run? What could he use for a weapon? Should he scream? The top of a head appeared. The killer was wearing a hat to conceal his identity. The door opened further and now he, she, or it was in the room and coming toward his bed. He tried to move, to scream, but he couldn’t. The thing was closing in on him. The shadows concealed his face, but maybe it was for the best. He squeezed his eyes shut, knowing that in only a moment he would feel the searing pain of a cold razor sharp steel or the suffocating pressure of a rope across his throat. He knew whatever was there was bending over his bed because he could hear him breathing. He put his hands on the blanket, and in a whisper asked, “Are you asleep, son?” Billy opened his eyes and answered, “Dad?”
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Maybe you’re frightened by life and the uncertainty of what lies ahead. The days of our childish fears are gone; however, in their place we have grown-up versions of the same thing. The stresses and uncertainties of life can be very disturbing. One of Satan’s devious tactics is to induce fear in our minds by the dark shadows of life’s experiences. Satan is the author of confusion and is often the culprit behind many of our fears. He stirs up trouble, and tries to keep us in a constant state of turmoil. He takes sadistic pleasure in creating tension, mental stress, fears, worry and anxiety within us so that we become uptight, withdrawn, on edge, confused, and upset. My friend, Satan is no respecter of persons when it comes to fears and doubts, as he is the master of it, and takes great pleasure in sending our way some of the following:

(1) The unknown. You may be reentering school or college, embarking on a new job with more responsibility, or moving into a new phase of life such as marriage, mid-life, or retirement. You’re anxious and uncertain about what is ahead.

(2) Bad memories. You have been hurt deeply in the past, having experienced some terrible event. It may have been a shattered marriage, a combat experience, or times when you were the victim of abuse, neglect, or crime.

(3) Sickness or death. You may be stricken with a life-threatening illness. You may face serious surgery or the process of dying.

(4) Financial failure. You may be worrying about what may happen if you lose your job: Will there be enough money to live on? Will the children be able to go to college? Will you be able to keep your house and car?

(5) Not being good enough. You feel so much is expected of you and you question your ability to produce.

(6) Fear of condemnation. You may be haunted by guilt over some past act.

This is just the beginning of the list. Satan knows the areas of our lives we are most vulnerable to fear and doubt, and for this very reason, we need to put on the whole armor of God listed in the book of Ephesians and courageously stand up to our enemy.
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Closing thoughts:

When W. B. Davidson was a young boy, he walked with his father 3 miles from his rural home to his grandmother’s house. While they were visiting, the sun set. Davidson writes, “Between our home and grandmother’s house was a swamp. That night the croaking of the frogs, the chirping of the crickets and the shadows of the trees frightened me. I asked my father if there was any danger of something catching us, but he assured me that, there was nothing to dread. And so, taking me by the hand, he said, ‘I will not allow anything to harm you.’ Immediately my fears passed away and I was ready to face the world.” Someone has said that the three keys to real peace are:

(1) Fret not because God loves you (1 John 4:16, “And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God and God in him.”)

(2) Faint not because God holds you (Psalm 139:10, “Even there shall thy hand lead me, and they right hand shall hold me.”)

(3) Fear not because God keeps you (Psalm 121:5-8, “The LORD is thy keeper: the LORD is thy shade upon thy right hand. The sun shall not smite thee by day, nor the moon by night. The LORD shall preserve thee from all evil: he shall preserve thy soul. The LORD shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth, and even for evermore.”)
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My brethren, as we rest in the love of Christ and recognize that God holds our hand, we too shall be at peace and unafraid. The “three keys to real peace”, fret not, faint not, fear not, can open our prison of worry and discouragement. Let’s step out into the full joy and liberty of the children of God! Thus, the perfect antidote for fear is trust in God.