“What if…”
These are two words that the enemy often plants as a land mine on the ground of your faith. These words are two of the enemy’s favorite words to throw at the faithful believer just before they venture out in faith. How often are you enjoying the beauty of the Lord and just as you begin to feel that all is well those two words come and hit you like a bucket of ice water in your face?
What if I didn’t hear God?
What if I fail?
What if I just imagined the vision?
What if God didn’t say what I thought that he said?
What if… the list goes on!
ICE WATER
Wait, this sounds familiar! One of the first stories we read in the scripture about the serpent (the enemy) is this very thing.
Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the LORD God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?” Genesis 3:1
The words aren’t exact but the meaning is the same! “What if God didn’t say that?” Or, “Did God say that?” “Is that what God meant?”
Have you ever had one of those moments that turned into an entire sleepless night of those negative “What if?” thoughts? It will take you from joy, confidence, and excited expectation to dread, doubt, and despair.
These questions that the enemy throws at the obedient believer can take him or her on a fast track from his heart to my head. The “What ifs” can go off like machine gun fire in the believer’s mind and the mental land mines will begin to explode against every ounce of faith that you were standing upon. Every word, vision, and confirmation comes into doubt which will begin to shipwreck your faith.
If this has ever happened to you then be encouraged because the enemy rarely asks this if you actually haven’t heard from the Lord! When you hear and obey you can pretty much bet that the first attack will begin with a question, “Did God really say?”
It’s Going To Be Worth It!
The one thing that I know is that with every risk that you will take after believing you have heard God’s voice will be filled with both provision and surprising doors of opportunity to walk through. When the enemy comes with questions that have the words, “What if…” or “Did God say…” within them then there is only one answer and that is this,
“If I have not heard the Lord and have made plans outside of His will then God will order my steps in the right direction; even in the midst of my plans!”
I have a scripture to back me up in this,
A man’s mind plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps and makes them sure. Proverbs 16:9
I don’t put my trust in MY ability to hear His voice, I put my trust in HIM!!! My Papa God will be faithful to rescue me and direct my steps as I trust in Him. I know that He is a faithful Father and as I have committed my steps and my plans over to Him, He will keep me on a sure path. We must not put our trust in our gifts, our hearing, or even our obedience but rather in the fact that He is a faithful Father in the midst of all of our humanity, knowing that He honors and adores every overture of love that we make for Him.
Make all that you do, worship to Him. Obeying God’s voice is not always the easy path but it is always the right path.
I remember when our family was living in another country and one of our young children was going through extreme homesickness; I was wondering if the price of their pain was worth what we were doing. That Sunday morning at our church the worship team began to sing a Rita Springer song, “Worth It All.”
I had just asked the question, “Is this worth it?” and God answered me with this song. In that moment I knew that every struggle we would face to obey His voice and all the battles we were fighting to defeat the voices of doubt would be worth it. I also knew that I would look back on that journey of faith and say, “It was worth it!” And IT WAS!
Turn the What Ifs Around
During times of my “what if” battles, I suggested that you turn the negative what ifs into positive what ifs. The next time the enemy hits you with what-if questions, turn the potential land mine field into a field of dreams. Try this;
What if my greatest longings are fulfilled?
What if I fly rather than fall?
What if God exceeds my dreams and expectations?
What if I’m about to embark on the greatest journey of my life?
What if it’s better than I imagine?
What if I find favor every step along the way?
Dream with God. All that you do to follow his instructions will be worth it! He is worthy of it all.
Now faith is the assurance (the confirmation, the title deed) of the things [we] hope for, being the proof of things [we] do not see and the conviction of their reality [faith perceiving as real fact what is not revealed to the senses]. Hebrews 11:1 (Amplified Bible)
With Hebrews 11:1 you have a promise to go with your faith and with this promise, you can answer the enemy’s questions with a proven and sure answer. Move forward in your faith and in your assurance of all that you hope for as you go. Keep your eyes fixed on the One that will never leave or forsake you. He is faithful.
This is an updated edition of a post originally published on Inscribe Ministries
Featured Image by Tim Roosjen on Unsplash
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