When Saul and his troops heard the Philistines challenge, they were terrified and lost all hope.
1 Samuel 17:11
Each morning and evening for forty days, Goliath took his stand and made his speech.
1 Samuel 17:16
As I read this during my quiet time God spoke to me. This is what the enemy does. His goal is to terrify us and make us lose hope. Without hope we are truly lost. When we are terrified we are crippled unable to stand and fight! God cannot work with people who are controlled with fear. He wants to break the fear off our lives. I am one of those people. One of those people who is fighting fear. I know God has not given me a spirit of fear but of power, love and a sound mind!
Look at what the enemy does once the Israelite army is terrified and have lost hope.
“Each morning and evening for forty days, Goliath took his stand and made his speech.”
The enemy is not content with terrifying you for a day. He wants you terrified as long as he can! He doesn’t want you to ever live with hope. He wants you to constantly live in fear, terrified! He is crazy…..! He will do all he can to discourage you, tear you down, destroy your dreams. He will do anything. Morning and evening for forty days! It’s crazy to think that would work but it did.
Look at the kind of effect it had.
“While they were talking together, the Philistine champion, Goliath of Gath, stepped out from the front lines of the Philistines, and gave his usual challenge. David heard him.
The Israelites to a man, fell back the moment they saw the giant – totally frightened.”
1 Samuel 17:23, 24
You would think the army would get tired of the same old challenge. But the fact is, they didn’t. We look at them and wonder how they could be so scared but the fear was real for them. Goliath was a giant! I would freak out if I saw a giant. Goliath was not only a giant but a trained one, ready for battle!
When I read the story everything made sense. There is something I am about to do but I have been attacked with fear. What if I fail, what if I heard God wrong, a lot of people are saying don’t do it but this is something I believe God wants me to do. These are the things I am constantly struggling with in my head. But I know the reason now. The enemy wants me to lose ALL hope! He wants me terrified, so terrified that I disobey God, so terrified, that I am not effective.
The armies of Israel dressed for battle everyday for 40 days only to cower away in fear. They were not fighting, just fearing and out of hope!
That is what the enemy wants for you. Has fear crippled you? Have you lost all hope in God because that is what happened?! They lost hope in God. The enemy succeeded.
We can’t let the enemy win. God has so much for us to do. He wants us to win. He wants us to hope in Him. He wants us to trust in Him.
Rolain
kingspeech 