Fear No Fear

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

Zacharias was troubled when he saw him, and fear fell upon him. But the angel said to him, “Don’t be afraid, Zacharias, because your request has been heard. Your wife, Elizabeth, will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John.
Luke 1:12-13 (emphasis added)

Zachariah baffles me. Always has. He’s praying for something. Not once. But for a long time. So long, in fact, that biologically speaking the ship had mostly sailed. Then he is told that he’s going to get it. But if you read past these verses you’ll see that he didn’t believe. That baffles me because he was a priest and knowledgeable about the scriptures. He knew the story of Abram and Sarai. One was in his seventies and the other barren when they were promised a child — one they didn’t get until Abraham was about a hundred and no evidence that the barrenness had changed. Zachariah was a priest. He knew that story backward and forward. Now an angel — an ANGEL — is saying the same thing to him. Why would he disbelieve just because it was about him that these words were said? But that’s often the thing, isn’t it? We will believe for others, but not for ourselves.

An angel appeared to him, and he was troubled. The angel says not to be afraid and tell him his prayers are answered. But he scoffs. He asks in the way we ask for things we know we’re not going to get – sarcastically. He listened, but he didn’t hear. He listened, but he didn’t receive. Was it because unlike stories of Abram, he felt the oldness of himself? The Word actually says we can have at least 120 years of productive, energetic life. Zachariah wasn’t that old. Not even close. He had about 50 years to go. But he thought old. He felt old. Life was winding down. Here’s an angel who says ‘You’re gonna be a daddy!’ and he couldn’t see it. It was good enough for someone like Abraham, but not Zachariah. I think he got weary praying for something that didn’t seem to be happening and he got bitter – my opinion, I might not be right.

How often do you catch yourself thinking like that when you hear about a miracle? You hear that someone was healed and you think ‘That’s great for them, but they don’t know what it’s like to have __.’ We struggle with diseases and chronic pain. But we accept that it’s ‘normal’. Doctors pass us around like confetti and we pray and moan and hope for one who will understand. We get a diagnosis and we celebrate because now we have a chance for medication, surgery, treatment, or some other kind of help. Finally we have an answer and we can get it under control. We can manage it. We even thank God for it. Why do we do this?

Why don’t we believe it can be lifted from us? That the condition isn’t normal? When we hear about someone else getting a miracle shouldn’t we thank God He isn’t a respecter of persons and start believing for our own miracle? But that IS the thing. It’s all about belief. Look at the healing in Jesus’ ministry. Go through the Gospels. All four of them. Look at every time that Jesus healed someone. How often does He tell them their FAITH healed them? That by the measure of their FAITH it was done to them? Jesus only marvelled at two things. Two. One was great faith. One was great unbelief. The Kingdom is built on faith. The world celebrates unbelief. The miracles flow according to our belief. According to the strength of our faith.

The possibilities of our walk with God are directly proportional to the strength of our faith. Why is that? God doesn’t move without functional faith. We all have faith. He gave it to us (Romans 12:3). The same amount, even. In Luke 17:5 the Twelve despaired, saying ‘Increase our faith, Lord.’ Jesus responded with a profound statement: “The Lord said, “If you had faith like a grain of mustard seed, you would tell this sycamore tree, ‘Be uprooted and be planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you.” Jesus says this is other ways as well throughout the gospels. It isn’t the SIZE of our faith, but its focus. Are we in service to the Lord with it? Are we serving others with it? Are we in the position of servants of love that we are supposed to be? How does this have to do with what we were just talking about? How does this apply to healing?

In this section of scripture (Luke 17), they were talking of forgiveness. Jesus was asking them to open their minds to the idea that forgiveness doesn’t have a limit. We’re to do it as often as necessary. Again and again. Like God does. That requires a faith that doesn’t come easily to the human mind. We are all about one chance and then go away. ‘Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me’ is the proverb, isn’t it? But forgiveness isn’t about being fooled. It isn’t about tally marks. It is about love. Real, pure, unselfish love. It is about a service of love. If love is our motivation, the amount of forgiveness doesn’t matter. If we truly love, it doesn’t take a lot of faith to believe that it is right and good to forgive unconditionally. It isn’t about letting people walk over us or take advantage of us. It is all about not holding things against people. Not being bitter. Not counting their sin against them. It is about the heart of our Father in action.

Serving is so important to the Lord. Forgiveness is so much a part of who we are in Jesus. Jesus was a servant. He served His Father’s will. He served us. He still does. We’re to be like Him. We’re to serve. What does that have to do with faith? Faith is the air of the Kingdom. Faith isn’t the BAM of a miracle. Faith is who we are. If we are not functioning in faith, we are not functioning in the Kingdom. Faith isn’t about belief in moments of time. Faith isn’t about believing for this or that. Faith is about love, and love is about service. If we love the Lord, we will do what He says (John 14:15-31). Not because we’re forced to. But because we love Him and want to serve Him. To please Him. To help those around us. Not for thanks or reward, but because they should be served. They deserve it. They are the precious creations of the Lord God Most High. How can we help them? How can we make them smile? How can we ease their burden? How can we bless them? Not to get, but just because.

Having strong faith is about more than firm expectation in a specific thing. Having strong faith is about the whole picture. Knowing that God will move in specific things. Knowing that God has power and is willing, eager even, to use it if we let Him. Strong faith is about loving one another without conditions. Strong faith is about forgiving one another, holding nothing against each other. Strong faith is about worship and praise of God Most High. Strong faith is about thanksgiving. About Joy. About Peace. Strong faith needs to be built up, that is true. How do we work our faith? How do we stretch those muscles? The Word. All of it. Not just about healing scriptures. Not just about financial scriptures. Not just about stress management scriptures. All the Word. Taking it all in. Piece by piece. Day by day. Maybe focusing on what we’re facing, but not neglecting the rest of it either. It is health to us (Proverbs 4:22). It is food for us (Matthew 4:4). It is our anchor (Hebrews 6:8-19).

Do yourself a favour. Read through the Gospels. Every time Jesus tells someone that their faith made them well or healed them, re-read the story. When you re-read it, put your name in the place of whomever Jesus was dealing with. See yourself as that blind person who believed for sight. See yourself as that leper who believed they were clean. Now re-read it as the servant Jesus. The one who loved them so much, it would hurt to leave them in their condition. The one who wanted all their needs met. The one who wanted them to meet His Father so badly. The one who would do it all, give it all, and smile (Hebrews 12:2). Remember that Jesus taught them, healed them, fed them, led them, walked with them, ate with them, defended them, talked with them, wept with them, served them, and loved them. This is faith. This is healing. This is redemption. This is the whole picture.

Now re-read the story again. This time, change the words to your situation. See Jesus heal YOU from YOUR condition in the same way, because you are believing He can do it. That the Father, through Jesus, is releasing healing power into your spirit. See Jesus removing your stress. Releasing you from the enemy’s grip. Moving in your situation. Make it about you, and see how Jesus loves you through it.

Think on the cross. Jesus died. Took all sin. Took all sickness. Took all lack. Took all negativity. Took all abandonment. Took all abuse. Took all failure. Took all attack. Took ALL OF THE CURSE and died because of it, with it on Himself. The Father resurrected Jesus from the dead into life. Not what He had become. Not sin. Not failure. By rising again into life, Jesus defeated death, broke the curse, and took the keys to death and hell. He released healing power from that moment throughout all of time and space. Healing of every situation. Healing of every sickness. Healing of every wound. Receive it. Feel it enter you as you believe for your situation. Hear the words of Jesus: your faith (in Jesus’ name, in the Father’s power, in the love walk of the Kingdom) have made you whole.

Believe. Have faith. Walk in Love. Abide in Jesus. Walk in forgiveness. Believe it. Do not fear. Do not doubt. And every day, every time a thought enters your head contrary to this, praise the name of Jesus and thank Him for the victory He worked and you received. Past tense. Done deal. Victory achieved by Him for you in the cross. Not putting your eyes on what might not be happening in your situation. Not putting your eyes on what you might be lacking. Not putting your eyes on the impossible of your possibilities. Putting your eyes onto the Word of God. On the promises. On the THIS WILL COME TO PASS, not the HOW CAN THIS BE. Keep your eyes on Jesus. Don’t let fear help you sink (Matthew 14:28-36). Let faith help you stand (Philippians 1:27). “For however many are the promises of God, in him is the “Yes.” Therefore also through him is the “Amen”, to the glory of God through us. Now he who establishes us with you in Christ and anointed us is God, who also sealed us and gave us the down payment of the Spirit in our hearts” (2 Corinthians 1:20-22).

Daily Affirmation of God’s Love: 1 John 5:14-21

Strangers don’t care what I want. They don’t care if I agree with them or if I ask them for something they have to give out. If they had something to give, they would give it to someone they knew or at least care something about. Since they don’t know me, why would they give to me? So who can we ask? We have a Heavenly Father who says we can ask Him for stuff. More than that, if we ask according to His will we will get it. Period. He knows us. If we know His Word, we know Him. And since we are born in him, we don’t even HAVE to sin! He gives us the tools to avoid it if we’d use them. That’s a great promise. That He’ll give us things and that He has given us the tools so we don’t have to sin. Sin is more than a thing to avoid. Sin is death. We were born again to life in Jesus. Why should we have anything to do with death anymore? Jesus doesn’t want that. Jesus wants so much more for us. Jesus is all about our freedom. He is there every moment of every day to hold our hand and walk with us. That’s love, my friend. That is love.

Your Daily Confession of God’s love to YOU:

Today God loves that I _______