Blessings of freedom in Christ! Prayer requests?
Psalm 34:4, “I sought the Lord and he answered me and delivered me from all my fear.”
1 John 4:18a, “There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear…”
When conditioning a falcon or hawk, both of the raptor family, to humans and the human world (the manning process) a hood is placed over the bird’s head which is the most important part of training. It creates calm. But when the bird’s ability to view his surroundings is blocked, he also loses the ability to evaluate his environment. He must rely solely on his handler’s sense of right and wrong, safety and danger, acceptable and unacceptable. While the bird may feel comfortable, well-fed, and protected, much of his life is in darkness and freedom is traded for immediate security. In fact, as it matures, the world of captivity is the only one he knows.
Sometimes I think I settle for captivity in the shadows when I’d rather be living in God’s Light. I believe in God and His Word; it’s just sometimes, like that falcon and hawk, a hood covers my heart and shields me from His Light. I mostly act Christian, say right words and often do right things, but sometimes I can’t find my way out and life in darkness hurts. I don’t want to be conditioned or trained the world’s way, submit to the ‘manning’ process. I want to fly free God’s way, but fears swoop in and grip my heart like a raptor hooking sharp talons onto prey.
Fear destroys and binds us to anger, which turned outward throws us into rage, turned inward chains us to depression and darkness. I don’t want to spend time in either place. Do you find yourself perched under a hood of fear?
What if you identified and wrote down each of your fears? Psychologists tell us babies are only born with two fears – fear of loud noises and fear of falling. All other fears are learned. That means those can be unlearned. But it takes time.
Be patient.
Pray and give all fears, one by one, to God.
Read Bible verses to determine God’s view of fear. Memorize the ones above.
Recognize God’s voice calling you out of darkness. 1 Peter 2:9b, “…proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light”
Remember God is love, light, freedom and truth. 1 John 4:8b, “…God is love.” John 8:12, “Then Jesus again spoke to them, saying, “I am the Light of the world; he who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life.” John 8:32, “and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.”
Remove all hoods and choose to fly in God’s Light.
What are your fears? Will you give them to God today?
Fearlessly Soaring God’s Way, PJ COPYRIGHT ©2014 PJ Gover
www.citygirlgoincountry.wordpress.com
http://4homestore.com/devotionalbook.html (PJ’s devotional book)
Filed under: Practical Christianity Tagged: anger, Christian living, depression, freedom from fear, rage, the manning process with falcons and hawks, training raptors, Trust God, worry
