December 6, 2006

 

"Fear not, stand firm, and see the salvation of the Lord.”

 

                                                                                               

--Exodus 14:13

 

Do you ever have those moments when you panic? I don’t mean feeling a little scared, frustrated, or unsure. I mean sheer panic, that sense of a sudden, unreasoning terror that makes you want to run and hide.

 

Panic can be a response to fear…especially when we are confronted with seemingly impossible situations. But as Christians, our first reaction to impossible situations should be prayer, not panic. Because the antidote to fear is faith. I don’t mean blind hope or belief, but true faith built solidly upon Christ and His Word.

 

As the Israelites came to the Red Sea with the Egyptian army behind them, I’m confident that panic gripped the hearts of the people. They knew that if they were caught, it would be death for most of them and slavery for the rest. But at that moment of panic, Moses spoke the words in the verse above, calling the people to resist panic and stand firm, waiting for the salvation of the Lord.

 

Faith is a learned response, developed through the hard experiences and trials in our lives. But as we grow in faith, our tendency to panic will subside. Even when a trial comes suddenly, we can choose to respond in faith instead of panic. Remember, faith and fear can’t coexist in our hearts at the same time. We will either be consumed by one or the other.

 

Faith is a gift from God, but it’s a gift that is supposed to grow. Is your faith growing? When pressed against the wall of life, do you panic or rest in the promises of God? Make a commitment today to spend time with God in prayer and studying His Word, so your faith will continue to grow so that you will be able to resist the urge to panic.

 

WHEN YOU FEEL THE URGE TO PANIC, PRAY FOR THE FAITH TO STAND FIRM.