My son has a seventy pound German Shepherd. Her bark is loud, intimidating, and effective. When anyone new comes to our home, she will bark menacingly until she is certain they are not a threat to her or us. After we moved into a duplex with a yard in November, she immediately claimed the backyard as her territory. It is the place she will play, run, and take care of business. If any bird dares come into the yard, she lets them know rather loudly that this is her territory and they better fly away if they don't want to become dinner. If any dog even sniffs the fence line, she will fiercely tell them to get lost. When the neighbor kids are near the fence, they will quickly know she is there and ready to protect what is hers. This is her ground and they have no business here.
However, this weekend, she surrendered her territory to another. It was loud, unseen, intimidating, and evoked terror in her heart. She couldn't tell where it was or what it was but the sound made her run and hide. Her pupils were huge in her eyes, her tail tucked low, and her ears pinned back. She was stuck in fight or flight mode - mainly flight. Even though this unseen foe was no threat to her, she perceived it as a threat and she was very afraid. Because it sounded so big and frightening to her, she gave away her blessing (her territory) without even thinking about the cost. The thing she feared caused her to behave out of character. Not only would she not set foot out the back door after dark, but she ended up surrendering her bowels in the living room as well because she was too afraid to go outside. No amount of comfort, support, encouragement, or reassurance from me would change her mind: something outside she could not see was big and scary and she was afraid.
I began to think of how we behave the same way when there is something we are afraid to face: we surrender our birthright, blessings, and territory; we see the unseen as bigger than we are; and we are afraid to face whatever it is that causes us to be fearful or anxious.
In Genesis 25:29-35, Esau gave away his birthright - all that was rightfully his as the first born - to his younger brother in exchange for some stew. His birthright gave him authority over his family, their land, their property, and their finances at the death of his father. He would receive the lion's share of his father's estate. Esau was blinded by his temporary desire (for food) and willingly gave away all that was rightfully his. My son's dog gave away her right to the land that was given to her by her masters because she was blinded by fear. So often we are blinded by our temporary emotions and willingly surrender what we have been given authority over and rights to. I imagine that as soon as Esau finished his stew, he had buyers remorse. So often we do the same thing. We immediately regret the times when we put our current, temporary desires over things that provide long term benefits.
Luke 10:19 (CSB) - Look, I have given you the authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and over all the power of the enemy; nothing at all will harm you.
We have been given ALL authority over the enemy and God promises that nothing will harm us; however, so often we abdicate that authority to the enemy. I think of how Eve willingly surrendered the blessings God had promised to her and Adam for the temporary satisfaction of eating the forbidden fruit. She also was blinded by her current desires and allowed the enemy to steal what rightfully belonged to her and her family. Jacob stole his brothers blessing through trickery and deceit; however, Esau willingly abdicated his authority and rights to his brother for temporary relief. Unfortunately, much like Esau and Eve (and my son's dog), we abdicate what is rightfully ours to the enemy. John 10:10 warns us that the enemy comes only to steal, kill, and destroy. He often uses our own emotions and desires to do this very thing. He used doubt to steal the territory that rightfully belonged to Eve: the Garden of Eden. Jacob used his brother's desire for food to steal his birthright. We must be cautious of following the leading of our feelings as they are fickle things, quickly changing like the wind. Following our feelings will lead us into some very dark places, constantly tossing us to and fro, and may come at a high cost.
John 10:10 (CSB) - A thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I have come so that they may have life and have it in abundance.
In Numbers 13, there is a story of the twelve leaders of the Tribes of Israel being sent by Moses to scout the territory of Canaan which God had already said He had given them. This territory belonged to the Israelites through the promise and authority of God. However, when they came back from their quest, ten of the men said they "were like grasshoppers" to the inhabitants of the land. Only two, Caleb and Joshua, chose the authority and promise of God over their fear of the enemy. Our fears are shaped by our perspective. My son's dog saw the fireworks as big, loud, scary things that were meant to cause her harm. Everyone else saw them as things of beauty and power. Her perspective triggered her fear, much like the Israelite leaders. I have learned that whatever we fear facing, becomes larger than life in our minds. We see ourselves as insignificant grasshoppers in comparison to what we fear. We forget that God has given us authority to trample those very things and that He goes with us. We do not have to face the fear alone. But we have to choose whether to keep fleeing from the things we fear or to face them head on. So often, once we face the fear, we realize it is not so big and terrifying as what it seemed. As long as we flee from what we fear facing, it will always have control of it. Until we face it, it will continue to cause damage in our lives. If we submit to God and seek His help in facing what we fear, we will be able to overcome it.
James 4:7 (CSB) - Therefore, submit to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
Bible verses retrieved from Biblegateway: The Christian Standard Bible. Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Christian Standard Bible®, and CSB® are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers, all rights reserved. www.biblegateway.com