Running Scared Today?
February 19th, 2008 | Michael Q. Pink
Humility carries with it the greatest of benefits… God promises to give grace to the humble. Grace is undeserved but yet freely given to the humble. Grace is more than unmerited favor. It is the divine influence upon the heart. As I understand it, grace is God’s Spirit coming upon us, affecting our desires and turning our heart.
Somehow His grace makes it possible to walk through any trial. It is God enabling us to do what we could never do on our own. It is God strengthening us in our innermost being to face what we would never wish to face. The test becomes a contest between the trial itself and God’s ability working through us. If we let him work through us and obey His instruction, it will confound the enemy and secure the victory.
Running scared today? Bring those fears to God. Lay them at His feet. Humble yourself by leaving the consequences in His hands. Acknowledge your insufficiency and rejoice in His all sufficiency. God resists the proud, but gives grace unto the humble. Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands. Purify your hearts. Cease from being double-minded. Admit with all candor your failings. Let your heart be broken, contrite and repentant. When you humble yourself in His sight, He will lift you up.
February 19th, 2008 at 9:25 am
Scared? No! With humility and caution? You betcha! As I face the challenges of today, I do so knowing without HIS grace and mercy I am way in over my head in this life. HE is so faithful to put me in places where I know I cannot go without HIS spirit filling and directing my steps. Father, go ahead of me as I walk YOUR walk, as this would surely not be my choices, from my flesh, but in the miraculous way YOU do things, it is surely YOURS! I am YOURS, with everything I “got” and “am.” May everything I do be in YOU!
February 19th, 2008 at 9:42 am
Hi Michael,
Great post, and my thanks for sharing it.
James 4 has been a favorite since my childhood. But it’s taken a lifetime to get a better handle on how to resist the devil.
Resistance is always active, but with the right exercises can become almost passive. I’ll explain what I mean with lust. When I was a boy and young man, I would never look at a girl’s breast — or at least not obviously. Then the movies showed the men directly and obviously lusting and it paved the way for a “new morality” a la Hugh Hefner, et. al.
Bouncing eyes off of the attraction and turning immediately to think of Ph’p 4:8’s items lessens the active burden substantially: “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy— *think about such things*. 9 Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into *practice.* And the God of peace will be with you.
With a lot of effort in the beginning, maintenance comes with little more effort than day dreaming about that list above. And the joy of focused attention on “pressing on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus” (Ph’p 3:14) is stronger every day.
The peace attending is one I would love to report and recommend to others. IF we have the Spirit of Christ living in us (Rom 6:3-18, 7:4-6, 8:9-11, then we have Him walking with us to our cross, and we shall overcome! Praise God!
February 19th, 2008 at 9:45 am
Amen Kara!! Lord, I die to myself today and lay myself at your feet. I pray everything I do and say today glorifies YOU!
February 19th, 2008 at 10:29 am
what’s amazing…”for such a time as this” we all appear to be experiening the same challenge..
Prayer, Praise & Worship..Prophecy (Habakkuk 2:1-3), we write the vision..what we are looking for in our deliverance…
Ester 4:16 Go, gather together all the Jews that are present in Sushan, & FAST FOR ME, and NEITHER EAT NOR DRINK 3 days, night or day: I ALSO (Ester), and my m aidens will FAST LIKEWISE.
Ester 7:3 If I have found FAVOR in thy sight, O King; and if it please the king, let my life be GIVEN ME at MY PETITION, and my people at my request.
Ester found FAVOR with the King.
My suggestions is to READ & Study Ester
Matthew 17:21 Howbeit this kind goeth not out BUT by PRAYER & FASTING
Some of our challenges CANNOT be answered or we canot be DELIVERED of..ONLY but by PRAYER & FASTING. Praise HIM….
Psalm 100
Try three days. first. Do a Daniel Fast…which is fruits & vegetables. no Bread, no Meat of any kind.. Praise HIM
Blessings to my Sisters & Brothers.
In His Love
Paula
February 19th, 2008 at 10:31 am
WOW! I needed that reminder. My wife was struggling yesterday and I reminded her that the evil one wants to take away our joy as we get closer to receiving God’s blessings. Today, I am struggling. I’ve tried to remind myself of God’s great grace. This is a confirmation. I will praise Him in the good times and the not so good.
February 19th, 2008 at 10:36 am
As I prepare to run out the door the post above sends GOD bumps onto my arms. I am headed to a mental health facility to present on porn to a group of youth, male, sex offenders. I taught them abstinence last month. I have just received a call from the teacher to come early as the counselors want to peruse my curriculum (the program Illusions). Please pray there would be no resistance. In the arena I am in I see many against this message (abstinence/porn). GOD is good! Thank you Michael.
February 19th, 2008 at 10:59 am
Thanks for your post, Michael. This is the first one I’ve received since signing up, and it’s the message I needed to hear. I’m starting a Bible study group this evening in my home, and even if no one’s led to come, I’ll still feel like I’m being obedient.
At first, I was planning to use the Bible as the group felt led, but then I thought about your Bible Incorporated book. I’ve loved my copy for 18 years and I think it will make the perfect book for the group — they’re all working women, and we’re all dealing with issues you’ve included. It must have been a God-thing that I went to your website instead of ordering through a bookstore. I saw your offer of the electronic version, and I’ll be showing it on the TV screen for topics to talk about tonight. If anyone comes, I’ll know to order a small supply so that the women can have their own copies.
I’m glad you use only Bible verses because I tend to be very timid and not a leader or teacher, but He is.
So I am running a little scared today. Fortunately, the ladies aren’t “wolves,” but my fears are. Thanks again for your message and inspiration. (signing off for the day)
February 19th, 2008 at 11:00 am
AMEN! MICHAEL, THERE IS GREAT POWER IN HUMILITY. GOD RESIST THE PROUD AND BRINGS DOWN THE PROUD OF HEART BUT HE LIFTS UP THE HUMBLE. GOD EXALTS THE HUMBLE AND GIVES THEM SPECIAL PLACES IN THE KINGDOM OF GOD.
February 19th, 2008 at 11:02 am
Here’s a bit of an extended definition of grace that helps me tremendously: GRACE: The unmerited favor of God, and His willingness to use His power on our behalf.
February 19th, 2008 at 11:40 am
Just before I read this post, the God-thought went through my head that the wisest thing to pray was, “God let me despise pride more than anything. Let me crave humility more than anything.” Oh, if we only had eyes to really see the destructive pits our own pride has dug for us! Oh, how we would hate pride and resist it as if “to the point of shedding blood”! If we only had eyes to see how our Father longs to exalt us into our destiny, but can only do so for those who live STEADFAST in with the humble realization that “I can do nothing…I am nothing…I have nothing…WITHOUT HIM.”
February 19th, 2008 at 11:50 am
Your words struck to the core of my being today. Circumstances beyond my ability to handle, and what seemed like God not caring, which I know is not true, but the darkness of the problem, caused me to look at the storm and not see Jesus. I am standing on Zeph 3:14-17, knowing His Word is true, and the enemy is defeated. I am running to Jesus.
February 19th, 2008 at 12:10 pm
This was one of the clearest explanations of “Grace” that I have read! What is grace? What does it really mean? What does it have to do with me and my everyday life? How does it make a difference in my life? You have succinctly answered that here, I think.
In our culture where pride and independence is paramount and a virtue and something to aspire to and boast about….the lessons on humility and also what that really means is so necessary! There are so many misconceptions about the TRUE meanings of both the words Grace and Humility, that most people are turned-off by them and do not pursue them in our culture. They don’t see how it will benefit them, so they continue to strive in self-effort, self-sufficiency, pride and strength of will. How can they ‘follow Jesus’ when they don’t even understand what it means, and when their ideas of what it means seem so counter-productive in today’s society?
Thank you for being a clear teacher of the Word.
February 19th, 2008 at 12:23 pm
What a blessing on you Shirley!!!! Expect Miracles Today !!!
Zephaniah3:14
SING, O daughter of Zion; SHOUT, O Israel; be GLAD & REJOICE with ALL thy HEART, O daughter of Jerusalem.
Zephaniah 3:15
The LORD has taken away thy JUDGMENTS, he hath cast out thine ENEMY; the KING of ISRAEL, even the LORD, is in the midst of thee: THOU SHALL “NOT SEE EVIL ANYMORE”.
Zephaniah3:16
In that day it shall be said to Jerusalem, FEAR THOU “NOT”: and to Zion, Let not thine hands be slack.
Zephaniah3:17
The LORD thy GOD in the midst of THEE is “MIGHTY”; HE WILL SAVE, HE WILL “REJOICE” over THEE WITH “JOY”; HE will REST in HIS LOVE, HE WILL JOY OVER THEE with SINGING
Zephaniah 3:18
I will gather them that are “sorrowful” for the solemn assembly, who are of thee, to whom the reproach of it was a burden.
Zephaniah 3:19
Behold, at that time I will UNDO all that “afflict thee”: and I will SAVE her that halteth, and gather her that was driven out; and I will GET THEM “PRAISE” and FAME in “every land” where they have been put to shame.
We have an awesome LORD…..He is very much ALIVE !!!!!! Praise HIM !!!!
In Christ Love
Paula
February 19th, 2008 at 1:41 pm
I found the definition of Grace from a former pastor:
“God’s empowering presence enabling us to do and be all He calls us to do and be.”
many times we get Grace and Mercy mixed together, but they are both needed in ones life.
February 19th, 2008 at 2:02 pm
Yes, I am running scared. Thank You Michael for being the shining light that brings me back to God our Father. Pride is the down-fall of many a person that moves away from God so far as to think that they can succeed with out him in our lives. How does one have pride in their accomplishments and not loose sight that without his Grace we are nothing?
Thank You Michael for keeping us headed toward the light.
February 19th, 2008 at 3:21 pm
Thank you, Michael, for being transparent and willing to share your heart. It takes a man of courage and humility to do so. Bless you.
February 19th, 2008 at 3:22 pm
A few hours ago, I wrote in my journal that I was scared to do the work that God has called me into. I even said that I felt inadequate to do this work.
February 19th, 2008 at 11:21 pm
This was quite a blessing to me. Truthfully, I am sick…my sickness there is no cure for. God called me about 2 years ago and told me you know you can be healed don’t you? He said it to me 3 times. He made a deal with me and told me if I leave those things behind which caused me sickness he would heal me. I accepted the promise and my new life began. I have seen so much that I can only say was truly God working, and manifesting himself. I decided to go for prayer for my sickness however I was given a choice as to my options. I chose to go for prayer. I was told immediately once I decided I was going to fail. I was not sure why but sure enough God did what he promised and what he told me came to pass. It’s been a year and a half and I have yet to go at it again. My pride/ego was crushed because I was sure I had it in the bag….and I failed. I have gone through so may changes over this failure from excess weight gain, depression, giving up, suicide you name it. However still I live. He’s calling me deeply to come out of this dry spell that I am in however, my pride/ego keeps me bound by asking me “what I fail again?” I have no doubts about God, just myself. There are days when I feel an internal struggle of such force that the entire thing just seems to choke the air out of me literally….the Lord….my failure…the Lord….my failure….it gets really daunting…
I was on my way home from church today to realize maybe it was not me that I was afraid of, but more like my pride/ego was crushed by my failure. So to open this email was really good. This email has given me something to thing about. I admit this is bigger than me and I’m not able to do this alone, but something still seems to be missing.
At this present time, I have been engaged in renewing my love affair with Lord. It is so amazing how we screw up so many times and he forgives us…He just completely forgets about….so incredible to me….something will come…it just has to.
March 4th, 2008 at 5:19 pm
This comes at a great time for me. I just started a new Mary Kay Business and the fear factor is raining it’s ugly head and this is a Word from God. I know fear is False Evidence Appering Real and I tell myself that over and over to keep on tract. I know that my Father is right there with me cheering me on becasue I know this great opportunity has come from Him. I have know for a long time that I was to minister to women and I have been thru my church and our women’s ministry but it always seemed to be not quite what the Lord had for me. Now I know that I am to minister to women thru this unique avenue called MaryKay. It has already started opening doors to women that I would not have otherwise had an opening to talk to them or minister. God has assured me by putting the women’s needs first prioity that He will supply the financial award that I need. It is a Win-Win situation. Praise God!!!
December 7th, 2008 at 7:07 pm
I was truly blessed by this.The Lord has been dealing with me on this issue and I’m learning o truly trust him in this area.I’m so glad to know he’s there when I need him the most.
Be Blessed