Fear No Fear

(All scripture from the World English Bible, ebible.org, all rights reserved)

Behold, Yahweh your God has set the land before you. Go up, take possession, as Yahweh the God of your fathers has spoken to you. Don’t be afraid, neither be dismayed.”
Deuteronomy 1:21 (emphasis added)

A promise is supposed to be a reason to expect something. But it can be more than that. It can be: a legally binding declaration that gives the person to whom it is made a right to expect or to claim the performance or forbearance of a specific act (Merriam-Webster definition). That sounds about right. God is a God of right. Of law. Of justice. He makes promises to us. There are about 7,500-8,000 promises in the bible from God to us. That isn’t counting any human promises invoking God or promises to each other because of something God said. That’s only direct promises from God to man. God has made about eight thousand legally binding declarations to mankind. Humanity has a legal right to expect and claim the performance of Yahweh God Almighty in relation to those promises. Do you get how powerful this is, yet? Do you understand the significance of ‘thus says the Lord’? It is a staggering thing. That a Sovereign, Almighty God would be willing — even eager — to say ‘If you, then I’ to His creation? It is a wonder of the Lord.

From that view of wonder, look at what a promise is. He tells us to go and do something or that we’re going to do something. He tells us that under these specific conditions He is going to do something. Which means that if we obey the conditions set forth in the promise, we WILL be able to go and do that thing. If we obey the conditions set forth in the promise, then He WILL do that thing. This means that if He promises healing, we get healed. If He promises victory, we have victory. If He promises spiritual renewal, we are spiritually renewed. If He promises salvation, we are saved. If He promises prosperity, we will be prosperous.

The great thing about the promises of God is that they are all part of the nature of God. Which means there is nothing bad in the promises. Take prosperity. He doesn’t promise riches. He promises prosperity. That may include riches, but it may not. Will you stumble if you’re rich? Will you fall away if you’re surrounded by the best possessions you can imagine? Will you get covetous and start to hoard and generally become someone unable to bless those around you? If you are any of those things, then those things won’t be part of your prosperity. God only gives good things (James 1:17). He will never EVER give you anything that will cause you to stumble (James 4:3). All God’s promises will be good for us. Because He gives us good things.

But what about all that you will be taken into slavery stuff? Well, they were promises this is true. And they seem to be negative, this is true. But look at the whole thing, not just at the promise. Whenever God was telling them in the Old Testament that if they did not walk in His ways they would be carted off it wasn’t a negative promise. It was a declaration of consequence. He wanted them to walk in His ways and enjoy His blessing. If they refused, they were going to put themselves in a place where a negative consequence would occur. It was a promise, but it was a promise after a plea for obedience. Every negative promise can be read in reverse to get a positive promise. If they DO walk in His ways they WON’T be carted off.

In the New Testament we have the same kind of promise. Because now we’re not talking about temporary wiping of sins. We’re not talking about rules and regulations. We’re talking about eternal life. We’re talking about a behavioural witness to the world around us so that they will want to choose eternal life. We’re talking about relationship not judicial procedure. Our promises are focused on our choices and our faith. If we, then He. If we, then they won’t. If we, then reward. And yes, again, there is talk about negative consequences, but always with a plea to not chose that. To avoid it. To walk in the Mercy and Grace of the Lord as we choose Life and relationship in Jesus with the Father through the Spirit.

Old or New, God’s promises are good and meant for our best. Our best life, our best circumstances, and our best eternal consequence. Sometimes the promise means change. We tend not to like change. Sometimes the promise has a challenge in it for us. Something out of our comfort zone. Why fear the consequences or actions that promise may take? It could be a move to another town or country. Will it be easy? Maybe not. But why fear it? Maybe it’s a change in our life, a change in our circumstances, or maybe we don’t know something (like where the next rent cheque is going to come from). These can all be scary things that fill us with anxiety and our time with worry and stress.
God says stop it. Just stop.

He has given us this territory. The place that He has you? It is your territory. That He has given you. For a day, a week, a year, or however long He can use you in that place. It doesn’t matter where it is physically located. He has it for you. Are you in tune with Him? Are you asking Him what to do? Great. Then stand on that. He is saying GO. That GO is a promise that you can – in fact – GO. Whether the going is actual movement, a promotion, or trusting Him to provide where we don’t see it. It’s still a promise. It doesn’t mean we get to sit back and do nothing. But it does mean we don’t have to stress about it. We can choose NOT to fear. We have no reason to fear if God is backing us. Just do what you’re called to, and it will work out because what He calls us to He also equips us to accomplish (2 Peter 1:2-4). No fear. No worry. With calm certainty. With knowledge that it will be better than fine. How do we know? Because He said GO.

Jesus talked about it in Matthew Chapter 6 “See the birds of the sky, that they don’t sow, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns. Your heavenly Father feeds them. Aren’t you of much more value than they? Which of you by being anxious can add one moment to his lifespan?” (vs 26-27). Birds work, but they don’t worry. We are called to go and do. Work our job and trust it will be okay. For birds, it is nature or instinct. For us, it is choice. Move somewhere and do a new thing. Take a chance. Share a message. Cheer up a co-worker. Bless people. We all have things to do. When God is the one directing our steps, giving us land to take that He has given us, don’t worry. That’s the promise of Psalm 37:23-26 “A man’s steps are established by Yahweh. Though he stumble, he shall not fall, for Yahweh holds him up with his hand. I have been young, and now am old, yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his children begging for bread. All day long he deals graciously, and lends. His offspring is blessed.”

Do not fear. Trust Him. Every day. Rest in Him. All day long. Give your cares to Him through praise, thanksgiving, and prayer. He will keep His promise. He will provide. It will be okay. He says so. Read it. Believe it. Walk it. You won’t regret it.

Daily Affirmation of God’s Love: Ephesians 2:10

Have you ever nested? Planned a child’s room while they were still in the womb? Made touch-ups to a home before a loved one moved in? Even planned your living space while the paperwork for your new place (rented or owned) is being written up? It’s an eagerness. An anticipation of the joy and goodness that you’ll experience. About how PERFECT it will all be. God is no different. He loves us and is excited for us. For us and all that we will experience. He started planning when we were still a zygote. That’s love. That is impatience for us to appear. Give Him a hug and tell Him what a great job He did.

Your Daily Confession of God’s love to YOU:

Today God loves that I _______.