Afraid or not, here I come!

  I'm thoroughly enjoying "The Message" Bible paraphrase in refreshing modern language.  It's kinda like reading the Bible again for the first time for a long term Bible scholar like me.
 I like to begin my day reading the "Proverb of the day", the chapter in the Book of Proverbs that coincides with the date. Today was the 15th;  so Proverbs 15 was the read. But that only whet my appetite. I needed a more in depth Bible experience this morning.
 You see, I've been facing a huge valley experience. A dark trial which could ruin life as I know it. I'm on the brink of disaster, and no one may be able to tell at first glance. But it's there, beneath the surface.
 And so, after reading the chapter in Proverbs, I began to pray. I mean, soul searching, anguished, calling out to God for wisdom and deliverance from my own twisted thinking that got me in this predicament in the first place.
 Don't ever pray for God to get you out of something; pray for the wisdom to handle the problem correctly. If we get delivered from problems, we are thumb sucking sissies for life, stunted spiritual midgets without a clue how to help others or grow and change for the better.
 No, I take on trials and tests of my will and faith as signs to help me grow and mature.
 So, this huge trial in my life was welcomed today, for that  reason. In my prayer, I gave God everything. I especially asked Him to take over my thoughts and completely change the way I think. My improper thinking has caused me to make choices that have dramatically damaged the relationships with those closest to me.
 And I can't unthink my incorrect thinking without Divine Intervention.
 As I prayed, God directed me to a selection of scripture in I Samuel 23 where David, who was supposed to be King of Israel, is being pursued by the hotheaded and irrational King Saul, who wants to take David's life. David and his band of men are hiding out in remote areas, fleeing from Saul.
 The Philistines are the arch enemies of Israel and are tormenting a certain Israeli town and stealing their grain.
 David hears of it and asks God if he should take his men and rout the enemy and rescue the town. Just one big problem. The town is buried behind enemy lines, thick with Philistines who want to see all Israelites die a slow, painful death.
 So, David asks God for wisdom. And God answers, "Go, and I will deliver them into your hands."
 But his men say, "David,  we're already in trouble for our lives our here in the middle of nowhere, and you are asking us to go into the den of swarming Philistines?"
 David scratches his head and tends to agree with the men. After all, these guys are fierce warriors. He picked them himself. If these Mighty Men are too afraid, he reasons, perhaps God didn't fully understand the seriousness of the situation. I mean, how would God defend his precious nation of Israel if all the Mighty Men died in battle?
 Well, David gets on his knees a second time and asks God, "Do you REALLY want me to go after the Philistines?"
 God says, "Go, and I will deliver them into your hand."
 Confirmation. Time to make a decision.
 Even though the men were afraid, they followed David into the heart of Philistine country and came out victorious. They completely annihilated the enemy and were fully successful.
 Why do I point this story out? First of all, David asks God for wisdom. That's what I did today.
 Secondly, David knows that he must obey God rather than his feelings.
 I did that today, and it's time for me to step out into my own Philistine jungle and face my fears of losing relationships and life as I knew it. I am stepping forward, and praying, like David and the mighty men of old, that God will eradicate the enemy before my eyes. All I've gotta do is pray and pick up my sword and go after the enemy that's stealing my grain and harassing me.