Drifting off to sleep one night as a young child, I remember my attention being caught by the presence of the largest frog I had even encountered in my life sitting on top of my wardrobe. I was terrified at the thought of this un-welcomed guest creeping into my room and perching itself on top of my clothes cupboard. I didn’t move for the longest time, but as my eyes began to get heavy, I slowly pulled the bed covers over my head hoping it would not disturb this unwanted creature. As I fell into dreamland, my thoughts turned to fear as I imagined this huge slimy frog leaping onto my bed in the middle of the night and swallowing me up.
As morning came, I sheepishly peered over the top of my covers expecting that frog to have moved closer to me, or at least be sitting where it had made itself at home the night before, only to discover that the enormous frog that I had been so terrified of, was just a pile of clothing disguised as the outline of a frog.
As I look back on that funny story now I can laugh, but at the time, and as a young child, it was anything but a laughing matter to me. I was frozen in my fear from what I believed was real.
How often do we allow our imaginations to run wild with what we believe to be a real situation or circumstance, be something that is not as it appears, or bigger than it really is? We allow fear, False Evidence Appearing Real, to cloud our judgement which steals our joy, and robs us of life. We need to take a second look and be brave enough to shine a light on the subject to see it for what it really is, possibly just a pile of clothing presenting itself as a gigantic frog.
The enemy loves to pose situations to us that instil fear in us, but God tells us to capture those thoughts and cast them down. It takes discipline to capture thoughts which cause us to be frozen in fear, however when we choose to shine God’s light of truth onto what we believe is real, or bigger than we think, the power of that situation not only diminishes, but God’s perfect peace will calm our hearts and cause us to see things as they really are. God has given us the authority to cast down every imagination and take it into captivity.
God did not give us a spirit of fear to live by, He gave us peace to live by. He didn’t leave us in weakness, He gave us His power to live by. He didn’t leave us without a brain or alone without counsel, He gave us a counsellor, the Holy Spirit and the ability to be self-disciplined in our thinking.
For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline. 2 Timothy 1:7 (NIV).
Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ; 2 Corinthians 10:5 (KJV)
Be blessed today and begin to live by God’s truth, not unrealistic frogs. 🙂 Deb
DESTINED FOR PURPOSE 