DOUBT and FEAR: The Makings of Walking By Faith

Greetings and Salutations O Ye Fraidy Cats.. how is you DOUBT FACTOR. Are your FEARS fueling your DOUBTS? Well...here is a word of encouragement for you...BE A FRAYED KNOT.

"Fear ye NOT." (Jesus: Matthew 10:31)

"Sometimes I'm nuttin but A FRAYED KNOT... even though being told...BE AFRAID NOT." (Unknown)

Our friend the Cowardly Lion...in the Wizard of Oz...was a afraid of his own shadow...which led to his doubt about who he really was...The King of The Forest. He ran into Dorothy, The Scarecrow, and The Tin Woodman...who gave him hope that his courage could be restored to him by the Wizard of Oz. Of course...he found out that he had the COURAGE POTENTIAL all along. Fear and Doubt can paralyze us...and distracts us from what is in us all along. It is like TEMPTATION...that is designed not to pull us into something...but to PULL US AWAY FROM WHO WE REALLY ARE. (Thanx and a Tip O Da Hat To Larry Napier).

If the tempter (little t)...aka the devil (little d)...can place doubt and fear in our minds...he becomes the controller (little c) in our lives.

"Fear, doubt, unbelief, anxiety, worry, tension...will either be our tombstone...OR the stepping stone to trusting our God." (R.L.B.)

We must "BE ON THE ALERT". When we let our guard down...in comes the doubt and fear.

"Be of sober spirit...be on the alert. Your adversary (little a)...the devil (little d) prowls about like a roaring lion...seeking someone to devour."

The lion roars...intimidating whomever will be intimidated...and then go for the weakest link. The one who prowls about seeking someone to devour... who roars like a lion...is an intimidator (little i).

We are called to RESIST him...FIRM IN YOUR FAITH (not loose and sloppy in our faith..but FIRM in your faith).

"But RESIST him (little h) FIRM IN YOUR FAITH...knowing that the same experiences of suffering are being accomplished by your brethren who are in the world." (I Peter 5:9)

Whether you are in Guatemala (like Kirk and Diana)...or in Peru (like Ron and Annette )...or in Kenya Africa (like Don and Nancy )...or in Rio Bravo...(like Ray and Leah)...and many, many more around the world...you have the same experiences of the roaring lion (little r.l.) There are...and will be many opportunities to fear and doubt.

Yesterday at Springhouse Worship and Arts Center... Pastor Ronnie Meek gave a great word on "Doubting Thomas"...and how...just because we have doubts and fears...does not mean we are any less men and women of faith. For us to have faith...means that doubts must be real....for something to have faith real in our lives. I have often said...that just because you are going through something...does not mean that you are NOT walking by faith...or OUT of the will of God. Most likely...you are SMACK DAB IN THE MIDDLE OF THE WILL OF GOD...where you have to trust in God and God alone.

Fear and Doubt are not to be grasped...but should be WHY you are pressing into the Lord even more.

"Now FAITH is the assurance (the confirmation, the title-deed) of the things [we] hope for (confidently expect)...being the proof of things [we] DO NOT SEE and the conviction of THEIR REALITY--faith perceiving as REAL FACT what is NOT REVEALED to the senses." (Hebrews 11:1 The Amplified Bible)

When we begin to walk in this FAITH...in the face of DOUBT and FEAR...we begin to PLEASE GOD.

"But without FAITH it is IMPOSSIBLE to please and be satisfactory to Him. For whoever would come near to God must (necessarily) BELIEVE that God exists and that He is the Rewarder of those who earnestly and diligently seek Him (out)." (Hebrews 11:6)

I like that idea...of in the face of doubt and fear...that I am not just sitting around...accepting whatever comes down the pike as the will of God...but earnestly and diligently SEEKING HIM OUT...and by doing that...I have entered into the POSSIBILITY of pleasing Him as I face the IMPOSSIBILITIES of life.

Many of you may or may not know that I like Old Time Radio. I listen to the various shows including comedies, variety, drama, mysteries, etc. One of my favorites is THE SHADOW.

"Who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men...The Shadow knows." (The Shadow...aka Lamont Cranston)

"The weed of crime bears bitter fruit...crime does not pay...The Shadow knows." (The Shadow..aka Lamont Cranston)

The Shadow strikes fear in the hearts of the bad guys...like Batman...who adopted the symbol of the creature that strikes fear in Bruce Wayne's heart...a bat.

Many times...we have to face the things that strikes fear and doubt in our heart. The Shadow may know a lot about evil in hearts...but God...know our hearts, our minds, our will, our emotions, intentions of the heart.

(Hebrews 4:12)

Frank Gorshin is the personification of Batman's nemesis...THE RIDDLER. The Riddler wrecks havoc on Gotham City with crime...bring fear and doubt to the citizens hearts... all the while...leaving clues for Batman to follows...with riddles. The giant question mark...is his symbol.

In Mark 11:22-26...Jesus has been teaching on prayer, faith, authority, walking by faith and not by sight, the power of the spoken word and the power of forgiveness. Jesus tells us that as we pray..."and does NOT DOUBT at all in his heart...but BELIEVES..that what he says will take place, it will be done for him."

Sometimes...as we go into hyperspace with our faith...we tend to forget to do the basics. We get so wrapped up with confession, not doubting, believing (on what our prayers are focused on), forgiving...that we forget the main ingredient in our prayers.

"In the morning when they were passing along, they noticed that the fig tree (that Jesus had cursed previously) was withered (completely) away to IT'S ROOTS (below the level of vision when first spoken). And Peter remembered and said to Him, Master, look! The fig tree which you doomed has withered away.!" (Mark 11:20-21)

Now...here is what we tend to miss in the formula..."And Jesus replying said to them, HAVE FAITH IN GOD...CONSTANTLY." (Mark 11:22)

Doubt and fear are real. We do not disclaim their reality...but as we say in the Ruminator Sunday School Class..."We do not doubt (fill in the blank) their reality...but we do deny their right to rule our lives...because TRUTH (the Word of God) TRUMPS reality." (R.L.B.)

My lovely wife, friend, helper...Brenda reminded my what Steve Burkett's father told me a while back...in reference to fear.

FEAR is nothing but F=false E=evidence A=appearing R=real.

You will either be A Frayed Knot...OR Afraid Not.

Lover and Non-Frayed Kisses

Rodney "Believing" Boyd