And the children of Israel spake unto Moses, saying, Behold, we die, we perish, we all perish. Whosoever cometh any thing near unto the tabernacle of the LORD shall die: shall we be consumed with dying? -Numbers 17:12, 13 (KJV)
All of us know the terrible feeling of being in a panic. We cannot think clearly, our thoughts race, our hearts pound, and our minds are filled with unsetting images. To be in a panic is to be at the mercy of our most negative emotions which are controlling our every thought. Trying to regain control of our thought processes during such a time is an overwhelming challenge. Only through the power of the Holy Spirit can we recover the peace and calm meant to be ours in Jesus Christ. As followers of Jesus we are not to be ruled by fear. Instead we are to be guided by faith.
The Word of God shows us in Numbers 17 how the people saw the power of God clearly displayed before them. In response they went into a panic and began to worry about God destroying them. Their fears were justified, although their reaction was misguided. God is indeed a consuming fire (Deuteronomy 4:24), yet we may also live under His grace, mercy, and blessing. The Lord is perfectly willing to show us mercy and forgiveness. He will furthermore empower us to walk in spiritual power every day. However, we must be willing to seek His will and turn aside from sin, self, and pride. Jesus said if we desire to follow Him we must deny ourselves, take up the cross daily, and follow Him (Luke 9:23).
Following Jesus Christ and walking in His will brings peace, and we also learn the value of godly patience. Rather than panic we learn to wait on the Lord knowing He will be with us and will bring us through whatever problem or crisis we are currently facing. So often ours is a knee-jerk reaction to a problem. Rather than wait on the Lord and seek His will we instead take a “grab it and fix it” mentality. Have you ever taken this approach to a problem? How did it turn out for you? I would not be surprised if you answered, “not too good.” Seeking a deeper relationship with Jesus Christ and walking in His power brings about the peace, calm, and patience we desire. When the storms of life come, and they will indeed come, we will be empowered to respond in quiet dignity rather than panic.
Who is happier and in a better position; the one who quietly trusts God or the one who is blindly raging about in panic? The former is in a place of spiritual strength to weather the storm and come out stronger on the other side. The latter will fall under his unbridled emotions.
Do not fear, do not panic. Instead trust the Lord Jesus – with everything. He will bring you through to victory.
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