The night can be long and dark especially if your mind is filled with whirling thoughts of worry as you play out every detail of a situation in your mind. Fear and worry well up in tangible emotions as you consider every possible situation and how you would respond. As you lay in your bed you are not resting peacefully as you physically experience every possible situation as if it were real. You wonder where is God; has He forgotten to be gracious to you (Psalm 77:9)? You wake exhausted, feeling a dark cloud descending upon you.
Psalm 77:2-3 In the day of my trouble I sought the Lord: my sore ran in the night, and ceased not: my soul refused to be comforted. I remembered God, and was troubled: I complained, and my spirit was overwhelmed. Selah.
It is during these night torments that life situations start to get bigger and more powerful than your God. The situation has been allowed to grow to the point at which it seems beyond God’s ability to intercede. You might ask, “Is his mercy clean gone for ever?” (Psalm 77:8) The situation is blinding you from God’s presence and the fear of the situation or the fear of man is preventing you from holding on to your Lord’s strength, power, and presence.
Proverbs 29:25 The fear of man bringeth a snare: but whoso putteth his trust in the LORD shall be safe.
Your fear of man or situation has you snared; snared from drawing close to the Lord for His guidance. This is when you put a man (or situation) in a position of influence where he does not belong. The “man” or “situation” is having more power in your life than your Lord. How do you release yourself from this snare and free yourself from these night torments of whirling thoughts?
Consider the worry and fear experienced by the early Christians in Saul’s time (Acts 8). Before his conversion, Saul was persecuting the early Christians in horrible ways. He was a real and present threat to every Christian. Can you imagine going to bed each night tormented by the worry that you would be next?
Acts 8:3 As for Saul, he made havock of the church, entering into every house, and haling men and women committed them to prison.
Letting God be bigger than your fear of man in this situation would have been hard. In the face of this threat, putting your trust in your Lord Jesus would have been very difficult. But God was there. He was with these early Christians and He had a plan that furthered the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Acts 8:4 Therefore they that were scattered abroad went every where preaching the word.
In order to protect themselves, the people fled across the land and in doing so, they took the gospel of Jesus Christ with them. Many surrounding areas were exposed to the gospel of salvation that would not have been if those Christians had not fled to avoid persecution. God had a plan of deliverance and purpose in the crisis, but the people had to trust Him, look to Him for direction, and be able to receive His direction. Had they been snared by fear of situation or fear of man, they might have been too consumed with fear to see God’s plan.
So, how do we release ourselves from this snare and free ourselves from these night torments of whirling thoughts? In YOUR time of torment, God has a plan for deliverance and purpose, but you have to put your trust in Him. You can’t let “man” or “situation” get bigger than your God.
Search your heart and discover where “man” or “situation” has become a snare that is keeping you trapped and preventing you from trusting in your God. While in the night torment, the Psalmist started to calm the storm and release the snare when he decided to remember God’s goodness.
Psalm 77:11-14 I will remember the works of the LORD: surely I will remember thy wonders of old. I will meditate also of all thy work, and talk of thy doings. Thy way, O God, is in the sanctuary: who is so great a God as our God? Thou art the God that doest wonders: thou hast declared thy strength among the people.
As you start to lift your eyes beyond “man” and “situation” and beyond your fear, worry, and anger you will start to see that God is your strength. God is your judge. God is your love. God has been there in the past and He is still with you now.
Deuteronomy 10:21 He is thy praise, and he is thy God, that hath done for thee these great and terrible things, which thine eyes have seen.
Related Bible Passages:
Deuteronomy 10
Psalms 77
Proverbs 29
Acts 8
Have a face to face conversation with your Lord:
Lord, am I tormented by the “fear of man”?
Lord, am I tormented by the “fear of situation”?
Lord, do I have eyes to see yam I letting a situation build fear in my thoughts? Am I tormenting myself with “what if”?
Lord,I do not want to let “man” or “situation” become bigger than you. I do not want to be snared so that I cannot see you or follow you. Lord, help me to remember your greatness so that you are always bigger than my situation…
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Glory, Strength, & Beauty 
Thank you! This devotion is just what I needed at this time!!!! It was a reassurance from the Lord and His word!😊
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