Fear No Fear

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

And likewise also, the Spirit helps us in our weakness, for we do not know how to pray as one ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with unexpressed groanings.

Romans 8:26

We need help when we think we’re strong – because really, we are NOT. But when WE are despairing is when we think of ourselves as weak. When it is clear even to our HUMAN understanding that we do NOT have what it takes. That is when we make desperate *cough* STUPID *cough* mistakes and missteps. Things we would NEVER imagine doing, we do when we are desperate. Like a person facing a fire, we decide that if we only throw enough kerosene on the flames, the liquid kerosene will smother it. ‘Cause THAT’S how THAT works, right? Yet we do it ALL THE TIME.

Samson thought he was STRONG. Samson used that strength whenever it was that he felt he was wronged (whether it was righteous or not). He had success in that strength. He felt he was STRONG. But he wasn’t was he? We see his mistakes in his story (Judges 13-16). We also see some successes. Samson judged Israel for twenty years. There are NOT twenty years of events in those three chapters. We see Samson at his best and at his worst. He wasn’t strong all the time (physically maybe, but not the rest of him) because he was relying on supernatural strength as a physical manifestation in his body instead of in his spirit. We do the SAME thing, don’t we?

Gideon thought he was WEAK. Lesser son in a lesser tribe. We see him struggle to accept his role, accept his role, rely on the Lord, achieve major things, make a huge mistake, and then rule for forty years. He was STRONG when he relied on the Lord. He made his mistakes when he didn’t. We do the SAME thing, don’t we?

“I am the vine; you are the branches. The one who remains in me and I in him—this one bears much fruit, for apart from me you are not able to do anything” (John 15:5). This is a TRUTH. It’s more than a fact. It’s not subjective. It is an objective TRUTH. If we are connected with Jesus, we have His strength in us which makes us joyful and able to rejoice. If we are not connected with Jesus, we have problems. We are weak. We’re not joyful. We’re not even happy. We’re husks. Waiting to be blown away by the wind. That’s when Ruach HaKodesh comes in!

Ruach HaKodesh is our intercessor when we can’t even understand what is threatening to uproot us. When we are WEAK, He reminds us that we aren’t US anymore! We’re not US ANYMORE!! We are the righteousness of Elohim in Messiah Jesus. We are MORE because HE is MORE THAN ENOUGH and He is our Source. We can’t HELP being more because of how much more than enough Yahweh is. “And he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, because the power is perfected in weakness.” Therefore rather I will boast most gladly in my weaknesses, in order that the power of Christ may reside in me” (2 Corinthians 12:9). WEAKNESS, not sickness. Inadequacy. We ALL have it because the flesh is NOTHING. When we gave up our lives to Adonai, Jesus took over. If we would stop trusting in ourselves and start trusting in Jesus, He would stand forth in His strength and WE would be able to bear all things because HIS glory would shine through us and convict our persecutors of not trusting in Jesus!

Ruach HaKodesh is the POWER of Messiah. He is perfected in our weakness because we are submitted to Him and letting Jesus lead us. He’s on the other side of the yoke we willingly place on our necks (Matthew 11:28-30). He knows where He’s going and He is doing the heavy lifting. Let Him do it. Let Him take charge. Ruach HaKodesh is available at all times in all things. It is THERE. Where are WE? What are WE putting before our eyes? What are WE listening to? Ruach HaKodesh is ACTIVELY talking to us as the POWER of ADONAI inside of us to show us HE is our strength to endure! He is speaking to us of the motivation we can have to change what we can, persevere by leaning on Jesus through what we can’t, and listening to Him so we know which situation we’re in.

This is the help we NEED in weakness. We aren’t going to rely on our own strength unless we’re foolish. We aren’t going to rely on our own thinking unless we’re foolish. We are going to walk in HIS WAY. We are going to think HIS WAY. We are going to speak HIS WAY. We are going to do WHAT He says, WHEN He says, HOW He says, to WHOM He says. We ARE going to do it – if we let Him help us in our weakness. He has the AUTHORITY to do it. Will you cooperate, or hinder Him?

Daily Affirmation of the Goodness of Elohim: Deuteronomy 28:12

“Yahweh shall open for you his rich storehouse, even the heavens, to give the rain for your land in its time and to bless all of the work of your hand, and you will lend to many nations; you will not borrow from them.” We all have to work. It’s true. That was the problem after the Fall EXCEPT it was TOIL. Jesus broke that evil altar through His ordeal of the Cross and we do NOT have to TOIL. We DO have to work. So did Adam in the beginning (Genesis 2:8). There’s nothing wrong with work. Work can be fun. ‘Find a job you enjoy doing, and you will never have to work a day in your life’ – Mark Twain. We all do it. We all need to do it. That is the mechanism by which we bring Adonai’s blessing to the world around us. That’s how you take dominion – NOT domination – over the world. And guess what? Adonai is promising that when we do it HIS way, He blesses the work of our hands. He tells us that He will fund us from HIS rich storehouse. Can you imagine how much that storehouse holds? Can you imagine the resources we have at our disposal in His work? Cooperate with Adonai. Do what He asks. Answer the call! He’ll bless what you do with all He has – and that is a LOT. He anoints us and enables us to achieve what He calls us to. He doesn’t leave us high and dry. He keeps us blessed and prepared – when we cooperate with Him. What a GOOD God!

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