Constrained by Fear or Conquering by Faith?

“Your maidservant has nothing in the house except a jar of oil” (New American Standard).  In II Kings 4:1-7, we read the story of the widow and her oil.  The widow’s situation was dire, she had owed so much money and was unable to pay that she was on the verge of losing her two sons to slavery to pay the debt.  The prophet Elisha asked her a question.  What do you have in your house?  She had nothing but a pot of oil.  Such a bleak outlook.  If we live in the material then we are going to be limited to the material.  Too often we focus on the situations instead of the Savior.  That is the difference between fear and faith.  Fear limits us.

 Fear says “Then Moses said to the Lord, “Please, Lord, I have never been eloquent, neither recently nor in time past, nor since You have spoken to Your servant; for I am slow of speech and slow of tongue” (Exodus 4:10).

 Faith says “I can do all things through Him who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:13).  

 

Fear says “So they gave out to the sons of Israel a bad report of the land which they had spied out, saying, “The land through which we have gone, in spying it out, is a land that devours its inhabitants; and all the people whom we saw in it are men of great size. There also we saw the Nephilim (the sons of Anak are part of the Nephilim); and we became like grasshoppers in our own sight, and so we were in their sight” (Numbers 13:32-33). 

Faith says “The Lord who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear, He will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine” (I Samuel 17:37). 

 

Fear says “Would that we had died by the Lord’s hand in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the pots of meat, when we ate bread to the full; for you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger” (Exodus 16:3).

Faith says “And my God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:13). 

 

I wonder what we would be saying about the heroes of faith in Hebrews 11 if they allowed their visions or faith to be hampered by their situations.  Faith is defined in Hebrews 11 as “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen” (Hebrews 11:1). Faith is the assurance that what God has promised He can and will keep.  Faith is the assurance that God is watching over us.  Faith is the assurance that God provides.  Faith is the assurance that through Jesus Christ we have the gift of eternal life.  Faith is the assurance of victory

In his attempt to walk on water, Peter allowed fear to hamper his step.  Faith helped three Hebrew friends to walk in the fire.  Fear sees giants.  Faith sees God.  Fear sees obstacles.  Faith sees victory.  Fear says “I have nothing but a pot of oil.”  Faith says “God will take care of us.”  Much like He did in the story of the widow and her oil.  So how does God do it?

1)      In His own way

2)      In His own time

3)      Using other people

Two years ago I stepped out on faith and quit my job believing that God had a place for me elsewhere but holding to my job was preventing me from finding that place and purpose.  It was fear that made me use that job as a crutch.   I have found that place.  It is in western Illinois, a place that was far from my thoughts and far out of my way.  A simple reminder that “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways And My thoughts than your thoughts” (Isaiah 55:9).  How many goals have been missed?  How many blessings have been robbed?  How much joy has been taken?  Simply because we let fear control our steps and our destiny.