Fear No Fear

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

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.

Galatians 5:22-23

We’re FREE from the curse of the Law (Galatians 3:13), but there is NO LAW against the Fruit of the Spirit. This means the Law was never meant for those who demonstrated these qualities. Those who kept the heart of the Law (loving God first and then others before self – Matthew 22:36-40), would exhibit these qualities. If you had these, you were already keeping the heart of the Law. When we love Adonai, we obey His moral code (John 14:15). We seek to do what is right from His point of view. Not because it’s forced. Because we WANT to the closer we get to Him.

We are able to live our lives with these qualities forming our character. We may have rough days and better days, but we can average out when we are seeking Jesus every single day. David was a man after Adonai’s heart. He spent his days praising Adonai. Repenting quickly when he stepped wrong. We can do the same. Jesus prayed and fasted, seeking time with His Father daily. We can do the same. Moses would go to the tabernacle to spend time with Adonai. Joshua often stayed there too. We can do the same. We can seek Jesus. We can spend time with Him. We can fast and pray. We can be led. We can listen. That’s the important one (when we’re obeying).

There are so many events detailed in the Word – some having happened and others yet to come – that don’t have a timeline. Noah’s flood. The tenth plague of Egypt. The rapture. The Great and Terrible Day of the Lord. The fall of the Babylonian Empire (featuring the death of Belshazzar). Everything was proceeding (or will be) EXACTLY as usual. Until it wasn’t. These are near INSTANT events that are not foreshadowed by anything but the Word of Adonai. Then they happen, are HUGELY tumultuous, and then the world is a different place – not everyone having ‘made it’. But the children of Adonai are told again and again not to worry. Did Daniel worry when the entire empire was ending and a new one taking over? No. Did Noah worry when the door of the ark started to close? No. They may not have been happy. People they knew were dying. But their trust wasn’t in fellow humans. Their trust was in Adonai.

We are living in a world that is rapidly changing. Only Adonai knows when the next ‘event’ is going to happen. Only Adonai knows what is going to be said by those who are left behind. Only Adonai can get us through it. Instructions may come rapid fire. They may come at the last minute. We need to be ready to act. To hear and to obey that voice inside us, guiding us through the trouble. If we don’t, we may not make it through as unscathed as Adonai wants us. He is our shepherd. We WON’T decrease (experience lack). Our breath will continue, our lives will continue, our personal circumstances will continue IF we will listen. In fact, for the believer who is committed to trusting in Adonai, it will be business as usual.

Our Source is Adonai. Period. “yet to us there is one God, the Father, from whom are all things, and we are for him, and there is one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things, and we are through him” (1 Corinthians 8:6). We look to Him for our spiritual blessings and well-being (3 John 2). Anything and EVERYTHING else comes from that relationship. If we aren’t spiritually prospering, how can we know what job to take? What vehicle to buy? When to sell the house? Adonai will be INTIMATELY involved in our lives if we’ll let Him be. We can walk right in the centre of His Will – as revealed and tested through the Word (2 Timothy 3:16; 1 Thessalonians 5:21). When we live that way, we miss all the potholes that are hitting everyone else. At the same time, we are shielded from what is happening around us. We may WITNESS it, but we aren’t in the MIDDLE of it. A medical crisis happening to others and shutting down the world around you can be a blip. Barely noticed. Economy spiralling? You might notice some price differences, but that’s about it. Why? Because Adonai, through Ruach HaKodesh, is steering your course. You missed all of that stuff. It hit others, but not you.

This is the GREAT COMFORT of relying on Ruach HaKodesh. This is the GREAT COMFORT of having the Word by your side, in your eyes, on your tongue, and filling your heart. There’s simply ALWAYS SOMETHING THERE when you need it. You don’t have to fumble or grab for your concordance. You just KNOW that you KNOW that you KNOW that you KNOW that this is the thing to do, or that is the thing not to do, and you know that IT IS WRITTEN…. It rises up out of you because you prepared yourself for it. By putting the Word in. By listening. By making and maintaining a regular praise and prayer life. You don’t always WANT to get up and get to it, or stay up and make sure you do it. But the benefits FAR outweigh the few grumbles. And your attitude ALWAYS changes to align with Adonai’s as you do it with intent. It’s not about what we FEEL, but what we KNOW if RIGHT and GODLY.

No matter what crisis happens. No matter if entire nations change in a day. No matter how much water comes up out of the ground. No matter how many people vanish. No matter how much the world quakes. No matter what happens with those zeros and ones on digital platforms. No matter how much interruption with the digital world. Ruach HaKodesh is still dwelling inside you. The Word is still speaking into your heart. Your spirit still has a direct line to the Throne of Adonai Elohim. NOTHING has changed with Him or with how you interact with Him. It can weather ANY situation. ANY persecution. ANY problem. ANY disruption of basic goods and services. And the Father takes CARE of His beloved children. He shelters those who align with Him and His Will. We need to stick to the truth. Not individual beliefs, but THE truth. The Word. We know what is true because of the Word. I’ll SEE what happens, but I won’t EXPERIENCE what happens, because Adonai is with me (Psalm 91). I really ENJOY my great comfort. Don’t you?

Daily Affirmation of the Goodness of Elohim: Psalm 23:4-5

“Even when I walk in a dark valley, I fear no evil because you are with me. Your rod and your staff, they comfort me. You prepare before me a table in the presence of my oppressors. You anoint my head with oil; my cup is overflowing” I can be faithful and obedient. I can be a little foolish in wandering. I can even be downright DUMB and fall into a pit. He is still coming for me. To lift me. To protect me. To help me see my mistakes and repent from them. To help me as I alter my behaviour to match His Word. To engage His morals as my own and leave what I feel in the rubbish bin. I can TOTALLY rely on Him and He will NEVER steer me wrong. NEVER put me in harm’s way. Harm may come my way, but it won’t be from Him and I will always have a way out – whether on this Earth or in heaven. He doesn’t LEAVE. That’s HUGE. He promised to stay and He DOES. Thank Him for it. We don’t EVER have to be lonely. We are not going through it ALONE and we NEVER have to. EVER. 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