Real Battles

"Do not lose heart or be afraid when rumors are heard in the land; one rumor comes this year, another the next, rumors of violence in the land and of ruler against ruler. For the time will surely come when I will punish the idols of Babylon" ~The Lord 

It's hard not to lose heart or be afraid of things that are real. I have prayed with and for people that are in excrutiating pain or in the shadow of death. Depression and fear are very real. For that reason, I question the wisdom of struggling with borrowed fear and losing heart over the rumbling of rumors. If depression and fear that are real are hard to battle with, rumors can be paralyzing enemies. Rumors of bodily harm can be especially potent.

I confess, I've been in the clutches of worldly fear in the past. I've been swept up in the rumors and cried out over the "what if's". My handwringing and "what am I going to do" attitude ran the gamut from knives to nukes. Hope had been shoved out and replaced by fear. Then a wise woman told me, "Marie, God gives us grace for the circumstances not for our imaginations."

I had been boxing phantoms, and every year a new crop would sprout up after the last ones were vanquished. What a waste of time. I stopped giving the heresay the power to destroy my peace and handed over my control (hardy laugh) of the circumstances to the only one that could mete out true justice. God is in control. My joy returned as my focus shifted to the good, true and praiseworthy things in the people around me. My spirit rejoiced in the clamor of the world being turned off and the voices of my children growing louder. Hope was restored through the shedding of fear.

"There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The man who fears is not made perfect in love."