Have you ever just been going about your day and a feeling of dread just comes over you out of nowhere? Well that’s what happened to me today. Recently I have been seeking a deeper experience with God and have been immersing myself in His promises for more than just head knowledge or a sword for spiritual battle but for it to become deeply rooted in my heart and soul. Specifically, I have been studying the promise of protection and safety for the godly found in Psalm 91 which is what I was doing at the time. Oh my gosh, it is so rich and there is so much to receive from it that you can spend a day or even a week on one verse letting it soak into your spirit and soul. In fact, my next post will be focused on just Psalm 91 itself in depth and the beauty of the promises it holds for the godly. However, back to today, I was studying the passage and all of the sudden I started feeling nauseated, dizzy, feeling really bad, and a confusion of sorts just started seeping in but nothing I could pinpoint exactly. I thought to myself, I know there is nothing wrong with me so why am I feeling this way? This is important to know because I am 2 weeks out from my hernia repair with miraculous results and the best part is that I had a lot less anxiety and fear this time about undergoing the procedure and have had a quick and painless recovery. This is a far cry from last surgery in July when I had my gallbladder removed and gastritis. I had a lot more pain, which is to be expected, but I also had intense fear and anxiety about my recovery and found myself back in the ER a few times for residual symptoms. The enemy was having a heyday keeping me wrought up, anxious and fearful about my health and I vowed then that I will overcome the spirit of fear and kick anxiety out of my life! Since then God has helped me do just that helping me get free me from fear, anxiety and giving me a peace that is definitely beyond understanding as I continue to seek Him for deliverance. Don’t get me wrong I still struggle with some anxiety in this area but I have a gotten a lot better and when I found out about this additional surgery I was ready to conquer it with no fear this time! That’s what is so awesome about God that when we experience these trials that like His Word says in Isaiah 41:10, He is making us stronger and hardening us to difficulties so that they won’t even phase us anymore which is exactly what happened from one surgery to the next.
Isaiah 41:0 “Fear not, [there is nothing to fear], for I am with you; do not look around you in terror and be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and harden you to difficulties, yes, I will help you; yes, I will hold you up and retain you with My [Victorious] right hand of rightness and justice.”
So that’s why I was surprised today that I started suddenly feeling bad and of course my mind started going down that rabbit trail of anxiety looking symptoms up online, reading about hernia mesh complications and so forth. In fact, I didn’t even realize it had already gotten to be lunch time and left for lunch feeling anxious and confused. But why? I know God is not the author of confusion or fear, where did this sudden attack come from? Why was I perfectly fine one minute and then feeling bad the next? You can believe that any time a sudden feeling of terror or confusion comes on you it is an arrow from the evil one who always has his bow drawn for attack. That’ s why, as I mentioned in my previous post on the Battle of the Mind, that it is imperative that we have our armor on every day and are prayed up so that when these arrows start flying that we aren’t caught off guard. This morning I woke up late, didn’t pray my armor on so I was momentarily blindsided however, when I got in the car, I asked God what is going on, called a friend, told her the fear and confusion I was feeling and asked her to pray with me knowing that two are better than one when fighting the enemy. As we were praying the Holy Spirit brought to remembrance Psalm 91:7 where he promises that “though a thousand may fall at my side and ten thousand are dying all around you, these evils will not touch you”.
Psalm 91:7 “Though a thousand fall at your side, though ten thousand are dying all around you, these evils will not touch you.”
So how does this verse relate to this situation? Well the enemy of anxiety had me researching the negative reports online, the what if’s, could be’s, or what might happen? and God reminded me that I don’t need to look at that those negative reports or claim those negative things over myself that I can stand on His truth and His report that although eleven thousand might succumb to these misfortunes that I am the one left standing in victory because of His protection! Hallelujah! This was confirmation because I had just heard one of my favorite pastors say the same thing the night before, that too many Christians claim negative things over themselves rather than what God says about them! If we know we dwell in the secret place of the Most High, we can rest under the shadow of the Almighty (under God’s protection and cover) no matter what happens. We also don’t have to fear the arrow that flies by day; in this case today sickness because when we are rooted in truth, we can turn to God and discern these thoughts and symptoms as an arrow from the enemy, reject them and replace it with the truth that there is nothing to fear and peace returned.
Psalm 91:1 “He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.”
Psalm 91:5 “You will not fear the terror of the night or the arrow that flies by day”
That’s what I love about God’s Word that when we hide it in her heart that it brings us comfort. Psalm 23:4 says Your rod (His Word) and Your staff (Holy Spirit) they comfort me and that’s what it did, the truth of God’s protection comforted me, brought me back to His presence, out of confusion and anxiety, and the symptoms left as quick as they came.
Psalm 23:4″ “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me”.
Not only that God turned this situation meant to instill fear and anxiety in me around for good, to confirm and perform the exact Word that I was studying for good and for His glory! Wow! Talk about getting tested right in the middle of the lesson! How awesome is our God though watching over His Word to perform it and that it never returns to Him void!
Jeremiah 1:12 “Then the Lord said to me, You have seen well, for I am watching over My Word to perform it”
Isaiah 55:11 “So will My Word be which goes out of My mouth; It will not return to me void [useless without result], Without accomplishing what I desire, And without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it”
So if like me you find yourself being struck with the arrows of fear and anxiety when the unexpected happens, let’s choose to believe that when we dwell in God’s presence, we are promised protection and cover,have nothing to fear and send the enemy running!
Let us pray
Father, we come to you and we thank you for Your Word and that you delight in performing your Word! We thank you that it tells us that if we dwell in the secret place of the Most High God that we can rest under your shadow Almighty God. We thank you that because of this, we don’t have to fear the arrow that flies by day and that though eleven thousand may be down all around us that we are safe under your care.
In Jesus Name,
Amen
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