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Look Out For The Bandit!

The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.
John 10:10

In the 1870s, he terrorized stagecoach travelers without ever firing a shot. His weapon was his reputation. His ammunition was intimidation. He was Black Bart, a hooded bandit with a deadly weapon. And he's not so different from another, more deadly thief. Even though you've never seen him, you'd recognize him in a heartbeat. In the hospital, you've felt his cold breath on your neck. He's the one who gave you sweaty palms during your last job interview or biopsy. At the cemetery, he whispers, "You'll be next." Now this bandit doesn't want your valuables. No, he wants the fuel you run on - your joy. And his name is "Fear." He manipulates you with the mysterious and taunts you with the unknown: fear of death, fear of failure, fear of tomorrow, fear of God - even fears you can't identify! No matter what kind of fear the enemy sends your way, it's always designed to make you run; to see opportunity as vulnerability and risk and, as a result, fail to enjoy the life God created you to live. But the Bible says, "God has not (so guess who has) given us a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and self-discipline" (2 Timothy 1:7). Your fears aren't from God, so reject them! By the way, Black Bart turned out to be a mild-mannered pharmacist who was terrified of horses! And the reason he never fired a shot? His gun was never loaded!

Prayer
Heavenly Father, heal me from fears that only rob me of the joy of doing your will. In Jesus' Name, Amen