DCLM Daily Manna 31 January 2022 Devotional By Pastor W. F. Kumuyi — The Weapon Of Fear
TOPIC: The Weapon Of Fear
TEXT: Isaiah 7:1-9 (KJV)
1 And it came to pass in the days of Ahaz the son of Jotham, the son of Uzziah, king of Judah, that Rezin the king of Syria, and Pekah the son of Remaliah, king of Israel, went up toward Jerusalem to war against it, but could not prevail against it.
2 And it was told the house of David, saying, Syria is confederate with Ephraim. And his heart was moved, and the heart of his people, as the trees of the wood are moved with the wind.
3 Then said the Lord unto Isaiah, Go forth now to meet Ahaz, thou, and Shearjashub thy son, at the end of the conduit of the upper pool in the highway of the fuller’s field;
4 And say unto him, Take heed, and be quiet; fear not, neither be fainthearted for the two tails of these smoking firebrands, for the fierce anger of Rezin with Syria, and of the son of Remaliah.
5 Because Syria, Ephraim, and the son of Remaliah, have taken evil counsel against thee, saying,
6 Let us go up against Judah, and vex it, and let us make a breach therein for us, and set a king in the midst of it, even the son of Tabeal:
7 Thus saith the Lord God, It shall not stand, neither shall it come to pass.
8 For the head of Syria is Damascus, and the head of Damascus is Rezin; and within threescore and five years shall Ephraim be broken, that it be not a people.
9 And the head of Ephraim is Samaria, and the head of Samaria is Remaliah’s son. If ye will not believe, surely ye shall not be established.
KEY VERSE: “And say unto him, Take heed, and be quiet; fear not, neither be fainthearted for the two tails of these smoking firebrands, for the fierce anger of Rezin with Syria, and of the son of Remaliah.” – (Isaiah 7:4)
MESSAGE:
Fear is one of the most potent weapons often used by the devil and his cohorts. Terrorists use it to weaken their targets’ confidence and create cracks in their walls of defence. In war situations, enemies use it to intimidate and weaken their opponents. Those who succumb to fear become easy targets and eventual victims.
King Ahaz of Judah, together with his royal family, was thrown into panic when news got to them that there was a plot to invade Judah by the alliance of the kings of Syria and Israel. Unlike his father, Jotham and grandfather, Uzziah, Ahaz had forsaken God and resorted to wickedness and gross idolatry. He could not obtain His help in the time of trouble. Sin has a weakening effect on sinners and makes them vulnerable. However, for the present danger confronting Jerusalem, God, for the sake of His promise to David and his house, sent Prophet Isaiah to Ahaz to advise and assure him that the plot against Judah would not stand.
“Take heed, and be quiet; fear not, neither be fainthearted” the Lord said to Ahaz. God referred to the threats of the two enemy nations as “tails of smoking firebrands”. This implies that they were empty and short-lived threats that would soon fizzle away. All that God required of Ahaz and his people was to “believe in the LORD” and “his prophets”. Doing this was the way to be established and prosper (2 Chronicles 20:20).
God’s “fear not” message particularly applies to the saints of God who are often the targets of Satan’s threats. We must not give in to the torment of fear, whatever the situation.
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:
Counter every fearful threat with the written Word.
THE BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:
Romans 13-16
DCLM Daily Manna was written by Pastor W. F. Kumuyi; is the founder and General Superintendent of the Deeper Life Bible Church situated at KM 42 on the busy Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, Nigeria.
