Fear No Fear

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

And Yahweh passed over before him, and he proclaimed, “Yahweh, Yahweh, God, who is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding with loyal love and faithfulness, keeping loyal love to the thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and he does not leave utterly unpunished, punishing the guilt of fathers on sons and on sons of sons on third and fourth generations.”

Exodus 34:6-7

I’ve been watching a lot of people around the globe and they all have something in common. They are desperate to live life with passion. A life that is full. A life with a sense of rhythm with the freedom to investigate and learn about whatever it is that they want to at the time they want to. A life without a lot (or any) negative ties. A life full of light, laughter, exploration, and love. Sadly, more and more I see people founding their entire lives on small things that can give momentary happiness, but like the echo of footsteps in a subway, fade away into a disturbing silence.

Sin drags down all of creation (Romans 8:20). It’s full of thorns. Full of weeds. It takes toil to get anything, and that is the bare minimum. You can acquire, but only by being selfish. You can function, but only within the human system that we set up to navigate the world without Adonai. We get moments of happiness, but no true joy. We get moments of passion, but no true love. We get the rainbow, but only by enduring a lot of rain. You see it again and again. Content edited to leave the darker side out. Edited, yet still you see the sadness. The burden of being unable to break free. The longing for better things. Not necessarily the best things of life, just things that don’t hurt. It’s easy to be in that attitude because its everywhere.

There are times that I sit alone in my living room, in the quiet, and I wonder what life is really about. I take Adonai out of the equation and I think about how I would fill up my time. What would give it meaning? Would there be any point to it? Why would I be getting money? What would be the purpose? Would it all be slaving away in order to do what? Hobbies? Gaming? Letting my kids do those things? It all seems so pointless. Empty. Faded. I can certainly understand why so much of the world’s messages are about either settling for ‘what you can manage’ or living for the weekend/retirement. It also explains why so many retired people fade so fast. There is just no real POINT to life if Adonai is in the picture.

But there is a voice inside all believers. The voice of Ruach HaKodesh. The voice that reminds us Jesus cleared our sin. Cleared it. He was scraped to the bone so that sin could be scraped off our bones. Adonai is not easy on sin. He doesn’t indulge it. He doesn’t ignore it. No measure or amount of it is acceptable no matter how small or humanely justified. All sin and all personal sins committed in word, action, or thought. Both types are abhorred by Adonai. They are seen and they are NOT acceptable in ANY way. Jesus TOOK that, BORE that, and CLEARED that from us – if we’ll repent and accept Him. When we do, we are clear. Transparent. Clean. Pure. The point is not staying that way (who can in perfection anyway?), but where we think we GO from there.

Being clear and in right standing with Adonai give us options. We can go without chains. We can go without thorns. We can go without pains. We can go without weariness. We can go and get filled. We can go and be satisfied. We can have JOY. We can sit at PEACE. We can LOVE and love PURELY – not just passion to get into someone’s pants. We can be fulfilled with everything we put our hands to, and take joy in how it all prospers – physically, emotionally, relationally, or physically. A life of freedom. Freedom to fly into the things of Adonai – which are deeper than the things of humanity. Just ask George Washington Carver – agricultural scientist and inventor who developed hundreds of products using peanuts, sweet potatoes and soybeans (all of which were given by Adonai). Imagine what we could bring to this world and bring it without damaging it. Imagine the possibilities. Imagine the benefit. Imagine finding something in every area we’re led to look into. Every sphere of human existence. Just imagine that.

It’s all possible because we aren’t bound to the negatives. It’s all possible because we can CHOOSE to be led by Ruach HaKodesh wherever He wants to take us. Think of all the good content creators are making out there. Now imagine that kind of content, but Ruach-led. What wonders we could be discovering and sharing. What love could be spreading. What passion. What innovation. What joy. What peace. What a revolution of human thinking when we are willing to submit to His point of view. Adonai created a universe. Think of what we could do with a single planet when thousands upon thousands of us are operating to see glory brought to Him.

Life is not meant to be shadows and cold chili. It is meant to be abundant. Full of wonder and lushness and work and joy and laughter and love. It is meant to be framed by godly behaviour which leaves MILES upon MILES of room to exist, flourish, and grow. It is the OPPOSITE to the picture the world is always trying to paint of believers. And it is the technicolor dual-stereo 4K upgrade to the life the world and the devil tell you is resplendent. Why live with the drag-me-down coping-mechanism-loving free-for-all that is CONSTANTLY selling itself short? I’m in my fifties and feel like I’m in my twenties. I’m NOT dealing with the type of things that they say I should be at my age. I don’t have the same outlook. I’m barely getting started, physically and mentally. It’s not harder to be in shape. There are no aches and pains showing up weirdly. I’m not deteriorating. And it is ONLY because of Jesus. Plain and simple. If Ruach HaKodesh wasn’t guiding me and if I wasn’t listening, I’d be in the same boat the television tells me I should be in. But I’m not, and I’m not even listening perfectly.

I am CLEAN. Scraped to the bone and CLEAR of sin. It’s not holding me back. It doesn’t have its teeth in me. Do I never err? Oh course not. I err. I repent. I need to be corrected. I am not renewed to where I should be (Romans 12:2). But I am on the journey. I’ve left the station. I am living in Him and He is living in me, and that is giving me the BEST LIFE POSSIBLE. An abundant life. A life where I am learning ALL THE TIME. A life where I don’t take what I have for granted. I’m learning to look at things His way. I’m beginning to see the Sonshine everywhere. In the raindrops and the cold days. In the sunlight and the warm days. In the giggles of my children as much as in the discussions where we learn to function strife-free. In the chores I do as a service of love to the family, because I glorify Adonai with it. In not having that extra snack, because I am stewarding my body to glorify Adonai with it. It is not a life of restriction, but a life where things are enabling me to move wherever I am, led in whatever direction, in whatever time. It is an adventure. And an adventure in/with Ruach HaKodesh that cannot be experienced any other way – but is also the way everything was intended to be.

Whether it is over mountain peaks or deep valleys. Crossing icy tundra or scorching dessert. Whether it is soaring through space or diving in the depths of the sea. I am never thirsty, for He is my water. I am never hungry, for He is my food. I am never withered, for my roots run deep into the Word. I get to live this way and live it according to the commands we were first given: to be fruitful in all I do with everyone I come into contact with; to multiply what I have so it can be a big blessing to others; to replenish the resources I use, no matter where they were found; and to steward the Earth because I operate in the other three areas (meaning it is subdued to His purposes, not my whims). I can do this because I was given a CLEAN slate by, in, and through Jesus. Amen. And Ruach HaKodesh shows me that I am a white board ever able to be cleared when I make a mistake and re-written with His will, desire, and plan for action as many times as needed as I wholly seek Him. THIS is a life of freedom. THIS is a life of passion. THIS is a life well-lived in the FULL strength of which I am capable. And it is ALL possible ONLY because of Jesus. He is the colour to life. He is the spice in the food. He is the water. He is the bread. He is the Way.

Daily Affirmation of the Goodness of Elohim: Matthew 7:22–29

““Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain came down and the rivers came and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it did not collapse, because its foundation was laid on the rock. And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. And the rain came down and the rivers came and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it collapsed, and its fall was great.”” He can ONLY cleanse those who truly REPENT. Without repentance, it is only lip service. You could not render lip service to a king and be considered a faithful vassal. Neither can we. Either we submit to HIM as our KING, SAVIOUR, and LORD . . . AND . . . live accordingly. Trust in Him produces fruit in our lives. But there He is. Ready to cleanse us. Ready to renew us. Ready to let us live where He says we can live. In the FULLNESS that He came to bring us (John 10:10). He encourages us. He equips us. He gives the blueprint to us. He gives correction to us. But He WON’T force us. He leaves it up to us. It’s OUR choice. OUR freedom. Yet He never gives up. Never decides it’s too much trouble. Never forces us away from what will nourish and feed us. We are never alone. The master builder is ALWAYS near to give us unlimited suggestions to get the most out of our homes, lives, and relationships. All of it godly, righteous, and fulfilling. 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