Fear No Fear

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

Behold, I am toward God even as you are. I am also formed out of the clay. Behold, my terror will not make you afraid, neither will my pressure be heavy on you.
Job 33:6-7 (emphasis added)

There is something special about being with like-minded people. There is something special that happens when you are together. An echo of fellowship that warms you out of proportion to how many people are there. It strengthens our values. It’s a powerful thing. And should never be abused. When you’re together with the wrong type of people, you’re echoing the wrong lessons and strengthening the wrong values. It is the principle of two or more and it’s a law of creation.

We know this, because it is why Adam got a helper. Adam was doing well. Complete, satisfied, and doing a lot. He named all the animals. He was tending, caring, and protecting the garden. But God looked at him and said it wasn’t good for Adam to be alone. He needed help. He needed a partner. Man got woman as a helper and partner. A helper is one who helps, but a partner? Someone who takes part in an undertaking with another, especially in a business with shared risks and profits. The Amplified translation says God decided the man needed a helper [one who balances him-a counterpart who is] suitable and complementary for him. Complimentary is combining in such a way as to enhance or emphasise the qualities of each other or another. Suitable is right or appropriate for a particular person, purpose, or situation. Their job, remember, was to tend, protect, and guard the Garden of Eden as well as populating the earth. This is a HUGE job and it would take more than one of them. Just the garden stuff was a full time job plus some. It took at LEAST two of them. Adam needed a joint heir. And with two of them? There was nothing they couldn’t do – which was why Satan came to break it apart.

When the Law arrived, you couldn’t convict someone without the testimony of two or more witnesses. That’s Old Covenant. What about the new? Jesus said in Matthew 18:20 “For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there I am in the middle of them.” That’s incredible. 1 Corinthians 14:26-33 talks about two or three prophets speaking (in tongues or in translation) and the people weighing what they said. To discern truth. The church is encouraged not to convict except on the word of two or three witnesses. To discipline with two or three elders. All of these very key things. All of them require two or three (or more).

God knew the power of partnership. The power of like minded people agreeing together, bolstering their faith and strengthening their values. In the Word there is never any major doctrine that isn’t echoed at least one time if not multiple times. Important things are said more than once. The deepest mysteries have echoes. There is strength in partnership. Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 “Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their labor. For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow; but woe to him who is alone when he falls, and doesn’t have another to lift him up. Again, if two lie together, then they have warmth; but how can one keep warm alone? If a man prevails against one who is alone, two shall withstand him; and a threefold cord is not quickly broken.“

It is worth it to be around other believers. It is worth it to have a prayer partner. It is worth it to take teaching with your mate. The power of like-mindedness can strengthen you in troublesome times. Add Jesus to the mix and it is amazing what can be accomplished. It’s the biggest reason that the world is reeling from the restrictions surrounding the pandemic. It’s the reason that people are open about being traumatised by it. On its face, we were told to stay in our homes and people freaked out. It was silly if you look at it that way. Home. That place that you’re supposed to like. That you talk about wishing you could stay at home when you’re dragging yourself to work or school. Then we have the opportunity to stay home and we freak out. Of course there is tragedy there because not everyone has a pleasant or safe home. For them it was a threat to their lives. Their mental health. But for the rest? Being forced to stay where we always say we want to be? Doesn’t that sound silly?

Yet, if we think about the law of partnership and community that the Lord put in us, it makes total sense. Here we are designed to participate with people. Designed to fellowship. And the government is telling us we have to stay home. People didn’t deal well with that. They craved being out and about. Doing things. With people. We’re meant to. When faced with isolation, people didn’t handle it well. Whether they realise it or not, whether they choose to deny it or not, people have the same inner turmoil that happens when we’re separated from God.

We are meant to commune with God. To have fellowship with Him. It’s part of who we are. Our spiritual DNA. We try to fill that spot with anything and everything else that joins us with another. We do it with anything and everything that sparks a feeling of being part of something or someone. Could be a hobby, relationship, activity, or anything. It is amazing what the human mind can connect with. But of course, the Lord is reflected in His creation so it really isn’t a surprise.

No man is an island. No man is meant to be solitary. The modern world, through pressures, cultures, media, and social environment has created a sea of broken people. People who don’t know who they are. People who can’t be around others. People who are challenged in the basic ways of people-hood. It is meant to keep us from connecting. With each other. With the Lord. It is meant to isolate us against the virus of companionship. Against the power of togetherness. That is why God’s promise to us is so important: He will NEVER leave or forsake us (Deuteronomy 31:6). He is offering us all the togetherness we can handle. He has a body (the Church) that He has set up and prepared and gotten ready to be there for us. To help each other. To build each other up. To fellowship together. To meet each other’s needs. And He is there to fulfil the communion gap. To spark the completeness inside you that you always needed, but maybe haven’t acknowledged is there.

“Let’s consider how to provoke one another to love and good works, not forsaking our own assembling together, as the custom of some is, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching” (Hebrews 10:24-25). For some of us, the digital world is more real than the real one. Guess what? God is there too. There are churches we can attend. People we can connect with. Congregations we can join and be nurtured in. The world can be crazy and the world can panic. It doesn’t matter if you have a job with bizarre hours. It doesn’t matter if you’re being forced to isolate yourself for some reason (sickness or social skills or anxiety or whatever). It doesn’t matter if the only way you feel you can stay sane is to plug into the ‘Net and surf. The Church is online. Fellow believers are there. The Lord is there. We can assemble in person. We can assemble online. We have no excuse not to connect and be together. Helping each other. Building each other up. It won’t stay online. We’re designed for face to face fellowship. But when you’re restricted, it opens up the door to staying connected. Just don’t leave it there.

God designed us to be stronger together than we are alone. He calls us sheep, remember? Sheep flock together. They watch out for each other. They gather and prevent predators from easily picking them off. They fight for their friends because they make fierce friendships. They take care of each other. Their motto is ‘never alone’. Ours should be too. If a threefold cord is not easily broken, think of how strong the cord of the Church body could be. Don’t let fear and its child (strife) keep you from the flock of friends the Lord has for you. Don’t let fear and its child (anxiety) keep you from connecting. There are always ways to take those steps. Always ways for us to be together. Full of His love. Building each other up. Not hurting each other. Not bullying. Not demanding. And not throwing around personal power or personality. Family. As it was meant to be. Helping, wholesome, and healing. A warm support. A body. His.

Daily Affirmation of God’s Love: Jude 1:17-23

The love of God is a powerful thing. Within it we find the mercy of God. The mercy of God is why we get eternal life. The Good God is merciful. Because of that, He extended His Grace and Faith so that we can be saved. Because He wanted us. We are not some biological accident. Some primordial mix up that resulted in sentient life. We were CREATED because we were WANTED. That’s powerful. That’s life-changing if you’ll let it be. Anytime we have difficulty, division, struggles, or problems, we need to get right back there to the MERCY of God found within His love. That is where we find correction for our missteps. Renewal for our minds. A second chance to choose correctly alongside the proper steps for restitution. Encouragement. Praise and worship for He who made us – and everything else. The mercy seat of Yahweh is where we find Jesus, the Anointed One. Our Messiah. Holding out His hand. Always and ever. Offering us all the Mercy and Goodness of His Father. His love endures forever. Which means His Mercy endures forever. Thank the Lord for that!

Your Daily Confession of God’s love to YOU:

Today God loves that I _______.