Fear No Fear

(All scripture from Lexham English Bible, Copyright 2012 Logos Bible Software)

But when he—the Spirit of truth—comes, he will guide you into all the truth. For he will not speak from himself, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will proclaim to you the things to come.

John 16:13

Multiplication tables. It was like some medieval torture. The rack? Child’s play. Whips? For babies. Writing a theme about your holiday? Keep ‘em coming. But multiplication tables? I got cold sweats. I could do the 5 times table well. For 9, I knew a finger trick. 2’s were easy. The rest? Ugh. No thanks. And think about it. We’re talking about a table that is laid out with mathematical precision, always the same, and a simple matter of memorisation. Should have been as simple as it really is. But it wasn’t. I think back on that when I am faced with any number of life’s challenges. Filled with a myriad of options on the shifting sand of human social structure and work ethics. You can’t memorize that. You need manuals. And manuals for the manuals. Now take things spiritual and you need a sherpa or better. We have better. We have THE guide.

The Greek word for ‘guide’ is hodégeó (hod-ayg-eh’-o). It means a guide who shows you the safest way through an unknown country. I think this is interesting because of Psalm 91:4 “With his feathers he will cover you, and under his wings you can take refuge. His faithfulness will be a shield and a buckler.” The Hebrew words in the first part of the verse can also be translated: “He shall move you away from a sudden catastrophe to a place of calmness in His secret hiding place.” That secret hiding place is where Psalm 91:1 says we should be living. Why? Because while going through unknown places, when a sudden catastrophe occurs in our path, our guide will show us the best way to get to a place of calmness under Adonai’s wings as we continue our travel around that disaster. What great companion verses. Our very own guide renown for His skill in traversing the landscapes of life. Someone who knows the spiritualisation tables AND every calculation giving every product they come to in EVERY situation and with EVERY value – shifting or steadfast. THAT is who we have been sent.

The great thing about our guide is that He isn’t keeping secrets. Yes, He knows this stuff backward and forward. He knows what’s coming. He knows what’s happening – around us AND far from us. He does not keep this information to Himself. He warned Jesus about where to go and what route to take (John 4:1-6). He warned Paul about where to go and where not to go (Acts 16:6, 9-10). He warned them about disasters (Acts 11:28). And this is His ministry to us as well. “he will proclaim to you the things to come”. We need only to listen. It is easier to listen when we aren’t imagining Ruach HaKodesh as some misty spirit floating about in the corners of the church or purely a Light of Glory waiting to burst forth during a prophetic service. Remember that He is a guide. He is holding out His hand to gently lead us by our hand. Right there beside us. In intimate connection. He speaks to us ALL. THE. TIME. But do we LISTEN?

Elijah encountered the still small voice after being shown the loud, bright, and exuberant (1 Kings 19:11-13). If he hadn’t waited out the noise and settled into the quiet, he would have missed it. The presence of Adonai is noisy. There is a LOT going on around the Throne. Read Isaiah 6:1-5; Daniel 7:9-10; and Ezekiel 1. Noisy! That isn’t where we hear leading guiding thoughts. That’s where we hear pronouncements and where we praise with abandon. It isn’t a place of minor course correction or a heads up that our zipper isn’t. The voice is a constant presence, but we don’t hear it unless we are quiet. Unless we are LISTENING and listening actively. If we’re not giving Him place, then how can we expect to hear Him? If we’re driving down the road with the windows open, the radio blaring, and yelling at the kids in the backseat, how do we hear Him talking even though He’s sitting beside us? It doesn’t work. We need to be STILL if we want to hear what He’s saying (Psalm 46:10). It doesn’t always mean heading into a prayer closet or visiting an altar in near silence. It can be dampening your thoughts, turning down your interior monologue, and having the heartfelt intent to hear Him.

The best thing about a guide is that we’re not limited by our brain skills or personal experience. We can rely on what THEY know. All the local information we’re not privy to. The known potholes and pitfalls. That great restaurant only the locals know. Or the place to score the best value when shopping. The backroads and shortcuts around traffic disruptions. Whole industries have arisen around guiding. Ruach HaKodesh is our guide through life and through the Word. He is an ever-renewing, ever-deepening fount of wisdom and commentary. He WROTE it. I’m pretty sure He knows the reason why everything was put in (Like the begats. I mean, really. Why?). “All scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness, in order that the person of God may be competent, equipped for every good work” (2 Timothy 3:16-17). He won’t be silent. We can ask for His wisdom (James 1:5). He is our GUIDE. It’s His ministry to communicate to us. We need to be sure we’re listening. Start today. Declare that you believe He is speaking, that you receive His words, tell your ears they’re healed and whole, that you hear Him, and then with intent throughout your day, cock and ear and listen.

Daily Affirmation of the Goodness of Elohim: 1 Chronicles 16:34

“Oh give thanks to Yahweh, for he is good; his loyal love is everlasting.” It is SUCH a relief that there is no end to Adonai’s love. That it is LOYAL. This ‘loyal love’ can also be translated as lovingkindness, mercy, steadfast love, loyalty, faithfulness, goodness, kindness, piety, reproof, and beauty. The word (chesed) denotes the acts of kindness and love that EXCEED duty and/or obligations. It is a central theme of the Word, showing Adonai’s compassionate and faithful character. It’s one of those words that is REALLY important to pay attention to. One of the downsides to having an old nature is that the flesh remembers what it felt like. Since we spend so much time with Adonai, our flesh can get to feeling condemned. Whether it’s a real feeling or a remembered feeling, it can set itself up as a wall between us and Adonai. It’s imperative that we remember the GOODNESS and MERCY of Adonai. That we remember what Adonai ALREADY dealt with and how we are ALREADY free of it. And if there is anything new that we’ve done, we can confess it, turn from it, and receive cleansing from it (1 John 1:9). Because Adonai is MERCIFUL. Because He is LOYAL to His Mercy. Because His compassion is the consistent outpouring of His love on us. Then we can reject the feelings of the flesh and stick with the reality of our born-again spirit.

Your Daily Confession of Elohim’s Goodness:

I taste and see that Yahweh is good; I am blessed because I take refuge in Him.

– Psalm 34:8