Fear No Fear

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

Jael went out to meet Sisera, and said to him, “Turn in, my lord, turn in to me; don’t be afraid.” He came in to her into the tent, and she covered him with a rug.
Judges 4:18 (emphasis added)

This man should have feared. He was an enemy of Israel who had led an army against them. The battle didn’t go well. He fled. Right into the territory of a neighbour friendly to his nation. He was flagged down by a woman who took him into her tent. She gave him warm milk and hid him from everyone under a covering. Then she killed him and won the day for Israel. Why? Because (vs 9) God had previously given the victory over Sisera to a woman. The general of Israel hadn’t received it. Jael didn’t do it with a weapon. She didn’t use a tool of men. She used what she had to hand. Women’s implements. Not only did mr general not die in battle, but at the hand of a woman. Cultural shame at the time, but God didn’t care. God gives victory. Man. Woman. It is HIS hand moving and when there is someone willing to let it move, nothing can stop it.

The enemies of God cannot run away from us. But our enemies are not people. We’re not helping them nap and then staking them to the floor. Our enemies have no physical bodies. We don’t fight against flesh and blood, but principalities and powers (Ephesians 6:10-12). They’re spiritual foes. It isn’t the people we see but the powers behind or in the people. The battlefield is not a physical place and it isn’t off in the spiritual realms of quantum dimensional who knows whatism. It is in our minds. They attack us at the soul level. We have no fear of them because Jesus has authority over them. And He gave it to us. We have it. But what if we don’t USE it? Worse, what if we don’t receive it?

Barak was the man chosen to lead the armies of Israel. The Prophetess of Israel who was its judge and the mouthpiece of God told Barak: “Hasn’t Yahweh, the God of Israel, commanded, ‘Go and lead the way to Mount Tabor, and take with you ten thousand men of the children of Naphtali and of the children of Zebulun? I will draw to you, to the river Kishon, Sisera, the captain of Jabin’s army, with his chariots and his multitude; and I will deliver him into your hand.’” (vs 6-7). And the man didn’t want to go. He was still scared even after being told what the Lord God had to say about the situation – twice! He said he would only go if SHE went. So Deborah did. As a result, the victory he refused to receive was taken from him. It was handed to Jael instead of Barak because he wouldn’t take it but she was willing to when the opportunity came.

Moses tried the same thing in Exodus 3-4. This is the man who was considered the greatest prophet of the Old Testament by the religious teachers of Jesus’ day — and by many today because he was an amazing man. Moses was pretty good. Human, made mistakes, but he was undeniably anointed of God and a man of great belief and a strong faith. God said (while appearing to Moses in a burning bush and speaking audibly) go to Egypt and set my people free. Moses said, no. I’m a nobody. God told him to go to Egypt because God would be with him, Moses said no. I don’t know your name and if they ask who you are I don’t know what to say. God told him that I AM was sending him. The Great I AM. The I AM who was and is and will be. THAT I AM. The I AM who would reveal to them the facet of I AM that they needed at the time they needed it so that He could be I AM Healer, I AM Provider, I AM Protector, or whatever else they needed when they needed it. Tell them I AM and go to Egypt. Moses said, no. They won’t believe me. God gave him signs he could perform. Staff to a snake. Hand turning leprous and then back to clean. Water poured onto dry land turning to blood. Moses said, no. I’m not a good talker. God said what about taking your brother too? Moses said, please send someone else. God told him to go. He, finally, went.

Jonah decided to run away from his God-given assignment instead of doing what he was supposed to. Spent some time meditating on his life’s decisions on an ocean cruise – inside a fish. Made some different decisions and went and did what he was supposed to. We don’t always have faith to walk where God wants us to walk first time out of the gate. Faith needs to be strong to be of any use. But listen: He is going to do the thing. With you or without you. He will get someone if you won’t. He will listen to your excuses, take the honour and glory, and give it to someone else. He will still do the thing. You can participate or you can observe. Your choice. But He is doing the thing. Your faith giving you an issue? Guess what? We all have the same amount of faith (Romans 12:3).

Faith is always from God. We get faith to believe in Him, obey Him, and walk with Him. It is what Grace imparts to us. As we hear the Word of God mindfully and on purpose to see God revealed, we strengthen faith. But it isn’t getting a new product as much as it is using the product we were given at salvation. Faith comes alive by hearing the Word of God. The root meaning of faith is to be persuaded. To go from believing to having believed. It can’t be stored up. It’s a right-now-always-now thing. It isn’t a battery. It’s like those spongy dinosaur toy thingys. You soak them and they expand to 125x their size. But if you take them out of the water, they dry up and shrink back to their original size. Use faith and feed faith, it will grow and be alive and vibrant. Leave it and when you need it, it will be shrivelled, dry, and hardly recognisable.

That’s why we need to always stay in the Word. So that our minds are always renewed by God to His workings, His teaching, and His way. Our faith will be alive, vibrant, and ready when we need it. The more we grow in the Word, the richer and more complex our faith becomes as we have revealed to us more of God’s righteousness (Romans 1:16-17). When you read the Word again and again, there will be different things said to you. You will see different connections. The Word is alive. It is always ready to meet you where you are. Change where you are and you’ll get different insight. It’s always current. It’s always applicable. Jesus is the Bread of Life, not the crust of once good. He is Sovereign. He is the Living One, the Existing One, the One Who Will Be Known. And that same Jesus is the Word (John 1:1-5 & 14). That is what we study. That is what gives life and strength to our faith.

It is also why faith is to be part of every part of every day. Eat in faith. Breathe in faith. Think in faith. Act in faith. Speak in faith. The Word has something to say on every topic. Food? “Listen diligently to me, and eat that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in richness” (Isaiah 55:2). Video Games? ““The lamp of the body is the eye. If therefore your eye is sound, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eye is evil, your whole body will be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!” (Matthew 6:22-23). In other words, content matters and don’t play just anything for the sake of playing. Driving? “Make the path of your feet level. Let all of your ways be established. Don’t turn to the right hand nor to the left. Remove your foot from evil” (Proverbs 4:26-27). There is wisdom to apply to any situation.

Principles and morals haven’t changed. They aren’t tools of the patriarchy or a shackle-breaking feminist agenda. The Word is an eternal moral guideline. It is the baseline requirement for entrance into the Holy Presence. It is the way to live righteously. No one who isn’t righteous can enter the presence of the Lord Most High. Faith enables you to walk that path, but only when it is strong. Grace is what enables us to succeed on that path because by Grace we are saved and by Grace we abide in Jesus who finished the path. In Him, we too can finish. Without him, we flounder (John 15). We need Jesus. We need His strength. We need His righteousness. We need Him. That’s what abiding in the Word is all about. Staying focused on Him, staying in relationship with Him, and continuing to apply and act on the principles He sets forth in the Word.

No one can please God without faith (Hebrews 11:6). Our faith is alive when we are in the Word and actively pursuing God’s righteousness. When we are standing under the wings of the Lord, sheltering in Jesus (Psalm 91). When we do that, we’re standing under where the Blessing falls (Psalm 27). When we avoid the Word, stop seeking His presence, and let our faith fade; we move away from the place where the Blessing falls. God is a God who enjoys obedience. Who enjoys relationship. Who enjoys faith. We dwell, He does. Simple formula. When God says ‘do’, you say ‘yes’.

Remember, He is GOING TO DO THE THING. Why not be a part of it? Why not be the one willing to act? Willing to step aside and let Him act? Willing to give Him the glory? Willing to obey? Think of the wonderful works of the Lord you’ll see! Think of the smile on the Father’s face. Don’t bind His work in your life. Loose it (Matthew 18:18). Let the Sovereign Lord of Lords show you who He Is. Know Him. Share Him. It is life changing.

Daily Affirmation of God’s Love: Psalm 145

In all God does, He is manifested as kindness. What we think of as God manifesting wrath is sorrowful judgment. It is the boom being lowered because it was promised that it would be. God is merciful. So very merciful. He wants no human being ever to be under that boom. And He doesn’t want the boom to interfere with our life. Jesus volunteered to be the sacrifice that saved us from the boom. The Father gave His Son as the sacrifice. Jesus cleansed us and gave us to His Father as a gift. We are a good gift. This cycle of giving is all about the Father. The Father giving a bride and a Son presenting a bride as a gift. It really at its core has little to do with us as individuals. But that is the great thing! In spite of salvation not having to do with us at a foundational level, God wants to make it about us! We are not a trophy, but precious children. He is a good father to us. He satisfies us. He is fair. And righteous. He gives us more than we ask for. He gives us what we really long for. He gives nothing that harms and all that builds up. He saves us. He saves our strength by lending us His. He is a GOOD GOD. In fact, He spoils us. Not rotten. He spoils us righteous (2 Corinthians 5:21). He doesn’t need to. He loves to. Because He loves you. All of you. At all times. Always. He loves you.

Your Daily Confession of God’s love to YOU:

Today God loves that I _______.