panic

​When I was growing up my friends were known for their athletic prowess, I was known for my fits of panic. One day I was hunting with my dad just above the family ranch in the Elk Horns. Dad told me to walk down this well used trail and I would come to the truck. As I walked along I was convinced I would get lost and die alone in the mountains, well it was time to panic. I got myself lost and began to cry and run up and down until I finally saw the truck. Dad asked me why I was crying. I told him I twisted my ankle and even came up with a limp. When a person panics, they stop thinking and the devil can easily step in and take control. I came to the conclusion that panic was natural and I would have it all my life.

Several years later I was in the Navy and they sent me to a fire fighting school in Hawaii. They trained us how to deal with onboard fire in the engine room. They had a mock up of a ship and the bilges full of oil. My job was to lead a crew of four other men into that fire and use high pressure water to extinguish the blaze as we crossed the width of the mock ship. If I panicked and didn't do what I was trained to do, my crew and I would have to retreat out of the mock up with burns and smoke inhalation. I was on the crew of a sailor who panicked and we had to retreat out of the mock up. If we were in the middle of the ocean and the ship caught fire, we would have to extinguish the blaze or go down with the ship. The Navy taught me not to panic, but to think.

Hebrews 13:5 The Lord said, I will never leave you, nor forsake you.

If a believer believes what God said, then they should never have a good reason to panic. If God is with us always then why not put our trust in Him like we did with our salvation. We don't always need to readily know God's plan, we just need to know He is with us. Everything we fear God has overcome and God is with us, so why should we fear things that our Lord has overcome. The time to deal with panic is before it tries to come on us. When panic comes, it will not catch me off-guard because I already know what I will do. The purpose of panic is to stop you from thinking or trusting in your Lord. But if your mind is settled, panic can't affect you.

Job 3:25 For the things which I greatly feared is come upon me, and that which I was afraid of is come unto me.

If Job knew it was coming, then he should have prepared for it. Now he had to figure out what the problem was and how to deal with it. Some things are out of our control but if we panic we make the situation worse. When large groups of people panic all together some people are going to get hurt and some may die. How many times have we seen large sporting events or concerts where something happens and all the people stampede for the exit? How many times have you heard the phrase, don't panic? Why do they say that to you? Because to panic or not to panic is our choice. We can remain calm or we can put our head into a potential noose. Panic is a path to the devil, he is counting on men to panic and make the wrong move. In the military panic can cost you and your team your life. In some cases, if you panic and run from the battle you can be legally shot by your own men. Make a life long decision that you will never panic again.