Spiritual Disaster Protection

By Dr. Gary Smalley   

When a crisis strikes, we can be like two boys running along near the safety of home and finding themselves in the middle of a field of deadly snakes.

As you can imagine, these boys would normally not be prepared to deal with rattlesnakes. But, suppose instead of wearing low-cut sneakers, they had been prepared for the reality they faced; suppose they had been wearing hip-high boots made of multiple layers of strong, thick leather—so strong that a snake's fangs would break off before they could penetrate to the skin underneath.

If they had been wearing such a pair of boots and knew they would protect them, the boys' whole attitudes would be different. Instead of being terrified, thinking they would die at any moment, they would have simply kicked the snakes out of their path as they made their way to the other side of the field. "Go ahead, take your best bite, make my day!" They would have challenged them boldly. And the preventive boots would have kept them safe.

How to Gain Authority in Your Faith

It is impossible to predict where your walk with the Holy Spirit will lead.

The story of Stephen, as recorded in Acts, is a good example. He was not an apostle before becoming a deacon. Stephen was simply active in the church in Jerusalem, a man full of the Holy Spirit, and faith (see Acts 6:5).

It is apparent that the Holy Spirit was moving in a great and powerful way, touching not only the preachers but also the laymen, for the Bible says, "Stephen, full of faith and power, did great wonders and miracles among the people" (Acts 6:8).

How did he move from his position as a layman to a position in ministry as an usher or administrator, and then to an evangelist? He was moved because of his fellowship with the Holy Spirit. And because of this fellowship, the Holy Spirit gave him great authority and changed his position.