Fear No Fear

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

Then they spat in his face and struck him with their fists, and they slapped him,

Matthew 26:67

Your face is the symbol of your glory. It is the highlight of your appearance and look, an indicator of emotion and character, a focus of interaction and relationship, and a locus of dignity and prestige. It is the center of your self-esteem because it is THE piece of you by which yourself and others judge you. We stare in the mirror at our face when we talk to ourselves. We fix our faces before people see us. We judge each other by how unkempt we are or are not. When we are caught out with ‘bad’ faces? We feel embarrassed. We feel shame.

Jesus broke the altar of shame by taking shame onto Himself. He removes slander against us and restores our glory (Exodus 14:14). Jesus removes SELF-slander and restores our self-esteem. It isn’t about US being perfect. It is about how we ARE and CAN BE perfect IN JESUS. We don’t need to look down on ourselves or have others do the same. We are new creations. We are sons and daughters of God Most High. We ARE the righteousness of Elohim in Messiah Jesus (2 Corinthians 5:21).

What is the comfort of this broken evil altar of shame? That we can believe what Adonai says about us. We are made in His image (Genesis 1:26-27). I heard a good illustration. We are like a glove. We are shaped in the image of His hand. We are lifeless unless that hand is inside us. We will do everything the hand does when the hand is wearing us, because it is the hand doing it and not us. But we are a part of what that hand does. I thought that was a good illustration. We don’t look at ourselves and say we’re useless. We can look at ourselves and say that we are the covering of Adonai. “Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own?” (1 Corinthians 6:19).

Adonai does NOT sell us short. He loves us. More than we currently can know. In fact, He loves us so much it takes direct revelation from Ruach HaKodesh for us to grasp it (Ephesians 3:14-19). But we CAN grasp it through Him. We CAN understand His love. We CAN realise the esteem in which He holds us – not because of what we do, but because of who we are. We are His creation. We are His children. We are His beloved bride. We are His. And if we are His, why would we let ANYONE but Him tell us our worth? Why would we let ANYONE but Him tell us who we are and who we can be and what we can accomplish? In HIM we move, live, and have our being. In HIM we have our worth. In HIM we have our calling. In HIM we have all that we are and will ever be. THAT is a GREAT comfort. We have a perfect lodestone to tell us our identity. To tell us what is what. To objectively inform us as to what we are meant to be AND how we can achieve it. Ruach HaKodesh is the deep comfort of our identity in Jesus and the barometer from whom we learn our true value.

Daily Affirmation of the Goodness of Elohim: Deuteronomy 28:8

“Yahweh will command concerning you the blessing to be in your barns and in all your endeavors; and he will bless you in the land that Yahweh your God is giving to you” Adonai doesn’t leave us to struggle. Yes, He blesses those who are obedient followers. We get things to help us. Not hand to mouth or paycheque to paycheque, but cupboards and fridges full. Bank accounts that are flush and functional, not drained and overdrawn. Yes, what we set our hands to will be blessed (when they are objectively moral endeavours). We will flourish and succeed. We will do well in the communities, regions, and countries in which we find ourselves. We will help bring prosperity to those around us because His hand will be on the area where we are. The businesses we work for will be blessed. The neighbourhoods in which we live will revitalise. Peace will follow us wherever we go. But ALL of that is because He COMMANDS us concerning that Blessing. He does not leave us alone. We are not rudderless. He points us in the right direction. He guides us as to what to do, where to do it, and how to do it in order to get the MOST out of EVERYTHING we do. He created the universe. He knows how to get the most out of it. The best of the best with work – not toil – directed by His hand. Imagine if we listened. Imagine what we could accomplish through Him. With NO guesswork whatsoever. Talk about abundant life blessing all those around us with all blessings (not just stuff and money). 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