Scarecrows and God's Best

I'm casually reading through Craig Groeschell's book, "Confessions of a Pastor." His chapter entitled "I worry almost all the time," has really spoken to me.

In it he talks about a verse from Jeremiah 10:5&6. God is speaking through the prophet to the people of Israel, telling them not to fear the nations around them. He says that "their idols are like scarecrows in a melon patch."

Scarecrows in a melon patch...think about that. Why does a farmer put a scarecrow in his melon patch? Simple, to scare the birds away in order to keep them from destroying his crop. What if the birds ever wised up and realized that the presence of a scarecrow was actually the tip off that the best of the crop was in the field?

A bird will never wise up, because it doesn't have the mental capacity to learn in these situations, that's why scarecrows still work to this day. However, as men and women who are created in the image of God, we do have the capacity to see the enemy's scare tactics as just that...tactics. The Bible tells us that "God hasn't given us a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and a sound mind." (2 Timothy 1:7)

Groeschell writes, "So, isn't it possible that the very fears the enemy tries to plant in your mind are unwitting advertisements for God's good stuff? (Like a "Danger" sign on God's cookie jar.)

Fear will always keep you from God's best for your life, so when you are experiencing fear, ask God to replace it with his love, and boldly walk into His best...it's waiting for you!