THOUGH AN HOST SHOULD ENCAMP AGAINST ME: I FEAR NOT WAR!

IN THE DAYS OF HIS POWER SERIES.

TOPIC: THOUGH AN HOST SHOULD ENCAMP AGAINST ME, I FEAR NOT WAR

SERMON BY-:
Rev Innocent Chukwudi Peace-Udochukwu
President Living Fountain Ministries Int’l LIFOM

“Though an host should encamp against me, my heart shall not fear: though war should rise against me, in this will I be confident.”
Psalm 27:3

“Fear tolerated is Faith Contaminated”
-Rev Bill Winston

I like that quote!
It suggests that fear and faith are incompatible, and that one must be overcome in order to fully embrace the other.

It’s a powerful message about the importance of faith and courage, especially in the face of adversity.

The Bible is filled with stories of God’s protection and provision.
Two of the most well-known examples are the stories of Daniel in the lion’s den and David and Goliath.

These stories teach us valuable lessons about faith, courage, and trust in God. Even in the darkest moments, we can rest in the knowledge that God is with us and will never leave us.

These stories have been an inspiration to countless people throughout the ages, and they continue to provide hope and encouragement today.

The verse speaks of the importance of having faith and confidence in the face of adversity. This verse can be a source of inspiration and strength for those who are facing challenges in their lives.

The Bible is full of stories of people who had to face difficult circumstances, and yet they remained faithful and confident in God.

This verse in particular speaks to the importance of having an unshakeable faith, even when it seems like the world is against us.

“Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”
Isaiah 41:10:

These words are so powerful and reassuring, and they remind us that no matter what challenges we face, God is with us and he will give us the strength and courage to overcome them.

One of my favorites is the story of Daniel and the lion’s den, found in Daniel 6.

“So the king gave the order, and they brought Daniel and threw him into the lions’ den. The king said to Daniel, “May your God, whom you serve continually, rescue you!”
A stone was brought and placed over the mouth of the den, and the king sealed it with his own signet ring and with the rings of his nobles, so that Daniel’s situation might not be changed”
Daniel 6:16-17

In this story, Daniel is thrown into a den of lions for refusing to worship the king.

However, he remains confident in God, and God saved him from the lions. This story shows us that even when we face impossible odds, we can still trust in God’s protection and provision.

Imagine this:
The crowd is hushed as Daniel is led to the edge of the den.

The lions are roaring, their breath visible in the air as they pace back and forth, eager for their next meal.

Daniel’s heart is beating fast, but he keeps his eyes fixed on heaven, confident in his God.

The soldiers shove him roughly into the den, and the crowd gasps as the heavy stone door is rolled into place, sealing Daniel inside.
But Daniel is not afraid, for he knows that God is with him.

When Daniel was thrown into the den, the king sealed the stone over the entrance.

Daniel was alone in the darkness, surrounded by hungry lions. He must have been frightened, but he continued to trust in God.

In the darkness, Daniel could hear the lions prowling around him, their breath hot on his skin. Yet he did not panic. Instead, he prayed to God and praised Him.

The Bible says that God sent an angel to shut the mouths of the lions, and Daniel was protected.

“David said to the Philistine, “You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the Lord Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. This day the Lord will deliver you into my hands, and I’ll strike you down and cut off your head. This very day I will give the carcasses of the Philistine army to the birds and the wild animals, and the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel. All those gathered here will know that it is not by sword or spear that the Lord saves; for the battle is the Lord’s, and he will give all of you into our hands.”
1Samuel 17: 45-end

The story of David and Goliath is another great example of faith and confidence in God.

Imagine this: The Philistine army is advancing, led by the giant Goliath.
The Israelite army is terrified, and no one dares to fight Goliath.

But then a young shepherd boy, David, steps forward, saying, “The Lord who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear, He will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine.”

As the sun beats down on the valley, the tension is palpable.

The Philistine giant laughs as he sees the puny shepherd boy approaching him. Goliath jeers, “Am I a dog, that you come to me with sticks?”

But David replies, “You come to me with a sword and with a spear and with a javelin, but I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel.

In the face of Goliath’s insults, David remains calm and confident. He tells Goliath, “This day the Lord will deliver you into my hand, and I will strike you down and cut off your head.

The giant rages and charges at David, but David is quick and agile, and he manages to dodge the giant’s attack.

Then, as Goliath moves in for another blow, David reaches into his bag and takes out a stone.
With all his might, he hurls the stone at Goliath’s head.

The stone hits its target, sinking into the giant’s forehead and knocking him to the ground.

Goliath is dead, and the Israelite army cheers as David stands victorious.

The giant had been defeated, not by brute force, but by faith and courage.

As David said, “the battle is the Lord’s.” It is a story of incredible victory against impossible odds, and a reminder that with God, all things are possible.

But this story isn’t just about the past – it has implications for us in the present as well.

What does it mean for us to face our own “giants” in life, whether they be fear, doubt, or any other obstacle that stands in our way?

The story of David and Goliath teaches us that with God, we can face any challenge that comes our way.

Just as David trusted in God’s power and protection, we can trust that God will be with us as we face our own giants.

No matter what we’re up against, we can be confident that God is bigger and stronger than any obstacle we may face.

And like David, we can stand firm in our faith and courage, knowing that God will give us the victory.

The Bible says that David had already fought and defeated a lion and a bear before facing Goliath.

Those victories gave him the confidence to face the giant, knowing that God had given him the strength to defeat those other enemies.

So before we face our own “giants,” God may lead us through smaller victories to prepare us and build our faith.

In my community, there was a powerful witch doctor who boasts about his spiritual power.

The people of my community were so afraid of him. But one day, I felt God leading me to confront the witch doctor and to stand up for my community in faith.

One day as he was boasting that there will be no rain the next day because one prominent family will be having a burial ceremony and I told him there and then that it must rain the next day so that he will know that there’s a God who rules in the affairs of men.

When I got home I prayed and told God
to show the witch doctor that there’s no power in the shrine he was boasting with.

The next day as from 9am it started raining, when the rain started to fall, the witch doctor was filled with fear and confusion. He had never experienced such a defeat, and he was at a loss for what to do.

As the rain poured down, he realized that his power was nothing compared to the power of God.

He saw that only God could control the weather, and he knew that he had been wrong to try to challenge Him.
And in anger he went and destroyed his age long ancestral shrine.

The people in the community were astonished by what they had seen.

For years, the witch doctor had been a powerful figure, and they had never imagined that his power could be defeated.

When they saw him destroy his own shrine, they knew that something significant had happened.

The man who had once seemed invincible was now humbled and repentant.

It was clear that he had been transformed by something greater than himself, and the people were left in awe especially when he humbly asked me to lead him to Christ, which I gladly did to the Glory of God Almighty and to the shame of the devil.

Some years after that incident I was
traveling with my family to my village for my mother’s funeral.

Few minutes to my village I noticed a few cars turning around and heading back the way they came.

Before we can figure out what’s going on, about four men came running towards on tricycle pointing their guns at us.

We were terrified, but in that moment, something miraculous happened.
Even as the men try to fire their guns, their guns refused to fire.

As the men fiddle with their guns, looking confused and disoriented.

My driver hits the gas and speeds away.
The whole experience is over in a matter of minutes, but it feels like it lasted for hours.

These stories are powerful reminders of God’s faithfulness and love. Even in the darkest of times, we can trust that God will never abandon us.

Just as He protected Daniel and David, saved me and my family from daredevil armed robbers and disgraced my village witch doctor, He will protect, guide and provide for everyone reading me now.

Let us be like Daniel and David, standing firm in our faith, no matter what trials we face. May we always remember that God is with us, and that He is more than able to help us to overcome any obstacle we may encounter.

SHALOM!

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