Fear No Fear

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


And to Adam he said, “Because you listened to the voice of your wife and you ate from the tree from which I forbade you to eat, the ground shall be cursed on your account. In pain you shall eat from it all the days of your life. And thorns and thistles shall sprout for you, and you shall eat the plants of the field. By the sweat of your brow you shall eat bread, until your return to the ground. For from it you were taken; for you are dust, and to dust you shall return.”

Genesis 3:17-19

Toiling to get by, to just get sustenance is a symbol of the curse right from the Fall at Eden. That is when in our natural bodies we stopped being AUTOMATICALLY connected to Yahweh God Almighty as our sustenance or source. We now had to DO to get sustenance instead of taking AUTHORITY to get sustenance. We had the RIGHT to eat anything from any tree but two. Once sin entered the world, things changed. Now we had to TOIL to bring forth fruit. To GET from what had been created. This was NEVER Adonai’s plan.

Adonai is generous (Luke 6:38; James 1:17; Ephesians 1:3). He LIKES giving. He LIKES us to enjoy what He gives. He never meant us to have to toil to get things. He meant us to take what was being provided, take authority over what wasn’t, and work to make the Garden spread. Adonai isn’t anti WORK, but anti TOIL. Remember that Adam was placed in the Garden as a caretaker, steward, defender, and spreader of it (Genesis 2:15; 1:28). We always have a job to do (Ephesians 2:10; Colossians 3:23-24). In fact, if we won’t work we don’t deserve to enjoy the fruits of other people’s work (2 Thessalonians 3:10). But WORK and TOIL are NOT synonymous.

Work is activity – or something that needs to be done – involving mental or physical effort done in order to achieve a purpose or result. Toil is working extremely hard/incessantly or labour that is exhausting. Which one sounds Godly and which one sounds cursey? Work can tire you put. Work can be demanding. But it is also joyful. Pleasant even. There is satisfaction in work. There are bountiful results. All toil has is sweat and low returns. Toil is part of the curse. Work is the method by which we walk in our calling (Titus 3:8), which is the physical manifestation of our love for Adonai (John 14:21). But as with everything of real value, we need Jesus to achieve it.

Jesus went to the Garden of Gethsemane (Luke 22:39-46) to prove His character was against toil. That’s where Jesus broke the evil altar of toil. It started in a garden and in a garden Jesus finished it. We no longer have to toil and sweat for sustenance. We can do the work of the Lord and HE is our sustenance. Ruach HaKodesh’s comfort is the comfort of not having to TOIL. It’s the comfort of knowing your NEEDS are taken care of (Psalm 37:25). That you’ll NEVER have to worry about diminishing (Psalm 23:1). That no matter what PACE you’re moving, your direction is ALWAYS forward (Philippians 3:14-16). And that toil will NEVER be part of your work, your life, or your inheritance. THAT is comforting.

Daily Affirmation of the Goodness of Elohim: Deuteronomy 28:7

“Yahweh will cause your enemies who rise up against you to be defeated before you; on one road they shall come out against you, but on seven roads  they shall flee before you.” What a great promise. And one you can see in action throughout the book of Joshua. When they were in right standing with Adonai, seeking His leadership and guidance, relying on Him to accomplish the victory, they got it (Jericho). When they did it their own way, not consulting Him, they got trounced (Ai). It is only when we are relying on Adonai and seeking His guidance that we succeed. And what success! We learn if we’re hindering ourselves with our actions. We learn if we’ve stepped off the path, whether we’ve turned left or right. We learn the correct next action. We learn the timing of Adonai. Nothing is held back when we humbly submit. Everything is revealed to us as we have the need of that knowledge (Deuteronomy 29:29; 1 Corinthians 2:10) – when we ask and seek for it. Everything is provided for us to walk in His victory. 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