Time Out! Devotions

(devotional by Neil Anderson from Christianity.com)

Philippians 4:11 (NIV)

¹¹I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances.

Some of us tend to assume that it is God’s will if the circumstances are favorable and it isn’t God’s will if the circumstances are unfavorable. Next to the Bible, I would guess that more Christians are “guided” by this means than any other. Yet of all the possible means of guidance, this is the least authoritative and trustworthy.

I had the privilege of pastoring a church that purchased new property and went through a building program. Through most of the process the circumstances didn’t seem favorable. Twice I sat with the mayor, who was also a local real estate agent, and asked him if he thought our plans were feasible. He advised us not to make the land trade, and he didn’t think the city would allow us to build. He knew the real estate and the political climate better than anyone in the city. But the land swap increased our assets by millions and the city planning commission voted 7-0 in favor of our building plans.

You may have to set sail by the tide, but you’d better be guided by the stars or you’re going to end up on the wrong shore. Circumstances may have their effect on your plans, but you have a far greater accountability to God. Make sure you follow Him, not the tide of circumstances.

I heard a motivational speaker say, “I don’t like to recruit Christians because when the going gets tough they quit, concluding that it must not be God’s will.” Generally speaking, I believe that Christians should live above life’s circumstances and not be guided by them.

Also be careful about applying too much significance to unusual circumstances or coincidences. “It must be God’s will. Why else would that book by lying there!” It could be God’s will, but I would never take that kind of a sign on its own merit. I have helped many people in occultic bondage who have made bizarre associations or attached far too much significance to irrelevant events.

Prayer: Lord, I determine to test all guidance by Your Word and not to be swayed away from Your will by circumstances or popular opinion.

Thank you for using the Daily in Christ devotionals brought to you through Crosswalk by Freedom in Christ Ministries (FICM). We are a faith-based, donor-supported ministry. If you have been touched by these devotionals, and would like to make a monthly pledge or a special gift of any amount, please use the link below to give as the Lord leads. Thank you so much!

Click here to be directed to our secure donation page at

Freedom in Christ

Click here to purchase your own copy of this devotional!

(continued from previous post)

(from – http://www.intouch.org/site/c.cnKBIPNuEoG/b.5281195/k.210D/Feature_Article__Conquering_Your_Fears.htm)

While we are facing very serious times in our nation’s history, we are not alone. God is with us, and He is never out of control.

The apostle Paul discovered this in a fresh way during a very difficult time in his ministry. Somewhere near the end of his second missionary journey, he was staying in the city of Corinth. He had left Athens to go to Macedonia, but something happened that almost caused him to stumble in his faith. The Jews resisted his teaching to a point where they “blasphemed.” Paul was fed up with their stiff-necked ways. He declared that he would no longer go to the Jews first, but instead would preach God’s message to the Gentiles (Acts 18:5-6).

At every turn, Paul faced opposition from the Jewish leaders. On several occasions, his very life had been threatened. He was tired and likely felt alone and worn thin emotionally—vulnerable to the destruction of fear. One night as he drifted off to sleep, God’s Spirit spoke to him, saying, “Do not be afraid any longer, but go on speaking and do not be silent; for I am with you, and no man will attack you in order to harm you, for I have many people in this city” (Acts 18:9-10).

There we have it: one of the greatest apostles who ever lived, battling fear. But the verses that follow do not mention this again. Why? Paul changed his focus. He came face-to-face with the reality of his fear and chose to abandon it. Was this something he could do on his own? Absolutely not. There was no way he could move past the anxiety he felt without the assurance found in Jesus Christ. Once God’s Spirit spoke to his heart, the issue was settled, and Paul knew there was only one thing for him to do: complete the work God had given him.

The Enemy uses many things in an effort to distract us and prevent us from reaching our full potential—and fear is one of his choice weapons. He usually follows it with words of discouragement and accusation: “You can’t do that”; “You haven’t been trained”; “What would people think if you fail?” And that was his strategy in Corinth: Satan knew he would face ultimate defeat if Paul succeeded, so he tried to keep the apostle fearful. The Lord’s faithful promise, delivered at just the right moment, was all the encouragement Paul needed to continue preaching the truth of the gospel.

The right steps to overcoming fear

If you are going to overcome fear, the first step is to acknowledge and admit your anxiety. Confess, “Lord, I feel fearful, and I don’t know what to do. Please show me how to go forward from this point.” Next, ask God to enable you to conquer your fear. The more you understand your relationship with God, the more intimately you will relate to Him. Your level of trust will increase, and you will begin to notice the many ways He is at work in your life and circumstances.

Shortly before his death, Paul wrote an interesting word of instruction to Timothy. He reminded his young protégé, “God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power and love and discipline” (2 Timothy 1:7). Fear doesn’t fit who we are as believers. It usually surfaces when we have the wrong response to disappointment and trial. God wants you to be victorious, not harassed or tormented by anxiety.

Let God remove fear from your life. He may choose to do this by placing you in a frightening situation where you feel out of control. But you do not have to worry, because the One who has promised never to let you go is holding your life in His omnipotent hand.

After you have given your worries to the Lord, meditate on His Word. David understood the power that was available to him through God’s personal promises. He wrote, “The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the defense of my life; whom shall I dread? . . . My adversaries and my enemies, they stumbled and fell. Though a host encamp against me, my heart will not fear” (Psalm 27:1-3).

If you want to keep your confidence strong, study the Bible, apply God’s principles to your life, and walk with Him each day by faith. When you hide His Word in your heart, you will have the light of His truth to guide you—not only for your present circumstances, but also for eternity.

Fix Your Mind on Christ

Too many Christians experience fear because they focus on their circumstances instead of on God. Dr. Stanley teaches that maintaining a proper perspective will help you rest in the Lord.

How to Handle Fear
CD | $12 (U.S.)
DVD | $25 (U.S.)

(from – http://www.intouch.org/site/c.cnKBIPNuEoG/b.5281195/k.210D/Feature_Article__Conquering_Your_Fears.htm)

Would you consider yourself a free person? More than likely, you would. But perhaps somewhere in the back of your mind, you wonder, am I truly free?

We live in a country that has a rich heritage—one that is steeped in freedom and liberty. But many people are not living free lives. They are bound by invisible chains that prevent them from reaching their full potential. These shackles are made up of links that have been cast and shaped in the emotional fires of fear.

Once this deadly emotion captures a person’s heart, breaking its bond is difficult—but it can be done. Though fear’s grasp is strong, it is not greater than the power of Jesus Christ. The Savior told His disciples, “If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free” (John 8:31-32).

How do we break free from the bondage of fear? There is only one way, and that is through faith in Christ. But before we can do this, we must come to a point where we admit that we are battling a deadly foe and need God’s help.

I’m not fearful!

The young boy leveled his eyes at his mother’s gaze and said, “I’m not afraid. I want to camp outside with my friends!” His mother softened as she thought through the situation. He would be in the fenced-in backyard, within range of her hearing his every move, and more than likely, she would be awake—watching to make sure he and his friends were safe. And if they needed anything, they could easily come inside the house.

This is exactly what happened. Somewhere around 2 am, she heard the backdoor open and close. She got up, grabbed her robe, and hurried downstairs to check on her son. As she flipped the lights on in the kitchen, she was greeted by the sight of her boy and two of his best friends—sleeping bags in hand along with a crumbled bag of chocolate chip cookies. Sensing their embarrassment, she asked, “Son, what happened?”

“There’s something out there,” her son replied. “I don’t know what it is, but it snarled at us. We could hear it in the yard. Maybe it was a big dog, a wild fox, or even a large bear!” Trying not to smile at the thought of their imagined foes, she said, “Why don’t you just sleep in the den and go back out to the tent in the morning? I’ll make pancakes for you when you wake up.” The mood of the group immediately brightened. She didn’t bother to mention the fact that the chances of meeting up with a fox or a bear were extremely low, especially since they lived in a densely populated city.

Fear attacks without warning. It tempts us to believe things that will not or cannot happen, and often leaves us feeling helpless and without hope. Each day, we are bombarded with words and messages that have the ability to stir thoughts of fear within us. Turn on the news, and more than likely you will hear a dismal rundown on the economy and many other items that strike notes of panic in your heart.

News organizations often broadcast with the goal of creating an emotional reaction from those who watch, listen, and visit their Web sites. To increase their audience, they target people with the messages that produce the greatest response. Therefore, if the fire of fear works, the flame is turned up.

From a worldly perspective, the future may look pretty bleak, especially if you decide to calculate your situation apart from faith in Jesus Christ. The fact is, if you do this, fear will reach out and grab your heart, telling you that the worst will happen and it will be beyond anything you can imagine. Don’t buy into the Enemy’s lies. The nightly news cannot give you a complete picture of reality—certainly not from a heavenly standpoint. And remember, nothing the Devil whispers to you is based on the truth of God’s Word (John 8:44).

While we are facing very serious times in our nation’s history, we are not alone. God is with us, and He is never out of control.

(from – http://www.intouch.org/site/c.cnKBIPNuEoG/b.5281195/k.210D/Feature_Article__Conquering_Your_Fears.htm)

(the conclusion to this great message from

Dr. Stanley will be posted tomorrow!)

Three days later, when David and his men arrived home at their city of Ziklag, they found that the Amalekites had raided the city and burned it to the ground, carrying off all the women and children. As David and his men looked at the ruins and realized what had happened to their families, they wept until they could weep no more. David’s two wives, Ahino-am and Abigail, were among those who had been captured. David was seriously worried, for in their bitter grief for their children, his men began talking of killing him. But David took strength from the Lord. (1 Samuel 30:1-6 – The Living Bible)

King David’s psalms reveal that he faced some very lonely times. However, few experiences compared to his utter despair over the ashes of his city, Ziklag. The story of how he reached such anguished depths actually began much earlier – at a time when his faith failed.

After years of fleeing from King Saul’s death threats, David was discouraged and weary. He’d believed God’s promise to make him king, but now he began to waver in his certainty. So he did what many of us do – he resorted to human reasoning. Under the circumstances, his best option appeared to be seeking refuge among the Philistines, who were Israel’s enemies (1 Samuel 27:1). Blinded by his seemingly hopeless situation, David stepped out of God’s will in order to get beyond Saul’s reach. His lapse may have been just temporary, but it nonetheless proved significant. He stopped believing that God could guide him safely through “the valley of the shadow of death” (Psalm 23:4).

Several months later, the future king entered his ruined city to discover that his wealth, his family, and his people had been taken. David’s band of warriors prepared to take out their frustration and anger on him. From the bottom of this pit of despair, a humbled man looked to God and found his strength and his faith renewed (1 Samuel 30:6).

Oftentimes, we reach our lowest points because we stop trusting in the Lord. At such times, it’s easy to give in to the temptation of taking matters into our own hands. When we do, it’s easy to wind up in a mess. But if we look to the Lord again, we will see the way out of our pit and back into His will.

(from the April 2009 issue of In Touch magazine – Dr. Charles Stanley)

Have a great weekend!