What robs our faith?
So fear causes us to lose faith in God – it is an intimidating spirit as revealed in the confrontation of Goliath and Israel
1 Samuel 17:1-11 Now the Philistines gathered their armies together to battle, and were gathered together at Sochoh, which belongs to Judah; they encamped between Sochoh and Azekah, in Ephes Dammim. And Saul and the men of Israel were gathered together, and they encamped in the Valley of Elah, and drew up in battle array against the Philistines. The Philistines stood on a mountain on one side, and Israel stood on a mountain on the other side, with a valley between them. And a champion went out from the camp of the Philistines, named Goliath, from Gath, whose height was six cubits and a span. He had a bronze helmet on his head, and he was armed with a coat of mail, and the weight of the coat was five thousand shekels of bronze. And he had bronze armor on his legs and a bronze javelin between his shoulders. Now the staff of his spear was like a weaver’s beam, and his iron spearhead weighed six hundred shekels; and a shield-bearer went before him. Then he stood and cried out to the armies of Israel, and said to them, "Why have you come out to line up for battle? Am I not a Philistine, and you the servants of Saul? Choose a man for yourselves, and let him come down to me. If he is able to fight with me and kill me, then we will be your servants. But if I prevail against him and kill him, then you shall be our servants and serve us." And the Philistine said, "I defy the armies of Israel this day; give me a man, that we may fight together." When Saul and all Israel heard these words of the Philistine, they were dismayed and greatly afraid.
The meanings of the Hebrew names are important here in order to understand the conflict taking place:
Sochoh means a Hedge— fence or protection
Judah means especially - to revere or worship (with extended hands);
Azekah means fence about
Ephes Dammim means boundary of blood-drops
Elah means an oak or other strong tree, strength; hence anything strong; mighty
Let's understand the mindset Israel should have had as they faced the Philistines. They should have been encircled or hedged in by their praise and confession of God and know that His shed blood had set a boundary around them against the enemy – in other words they should have been full of faith. Instead their faith was robbed from them by fear. What is robbing your faith of action? I suppose if you look very deep you will realize that it is some type of fear!
