Fear No Fear

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

And he woke up and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Be quiet! Be silent!” And the wind abated and there was a great calm.

Mark 4:39

There is a place called ‘there’ where we go to be blessed (1 Kings 17:4, 9). There is also a place called ‘peace’ from which all the miracles, signs, and wonders proceed from. It is the foundation of our authority. And nothing we do with the Word or our assignment is as effective if it is done outside that place – and sometimes won’t physically arrive at all. It is only in that peaceful place that we can effectively speak peace. Peace to make the fighting stop. Peace to make the waters still. Peace to bring calm to a situation in flux. Everywhere Jesus went, He spoke peace. It didn’t always look that way to those involved, but His words of peace shut them down. Peace is one of the fundamental, underlying truths of Creation, because peace saturates the Word and the Word upholds everything (Isaiah 41:10).

Jesus told the disciples what was going to happen. They were going to cross to the other side. He had assignment there and He knew they were going. The disciples thought that was great – when the weather wasn’t against them. When things looked simple. Little struggle. The usual journey. They agreed. They believed. They knew it wasn’t a frivolous comment. There was purpose here. But then the winds kicked up. The waves came over the sides of the boat. They SAW and it was not what they had believed. There was something different between them. They gave into that seeing. They panicked. They feared. They let loose the peace they had at the beginning of the journey. Jesus didn’t. He was sleeping. His eyes were not on the storm. His eyes were not on the waves. He must have been getting wet, but He wasn’t looking at it. He did nothing until they called on Him. Then He stood and spoke what HE saw in the peaceful place. The peace He saw physically arrived in the winds and the waves. All Jesus did was call the thing that was not as if it was (Romans 4:17).

The disciples can be forgiven EASILY. They did NOT have Ruach HaKodesh inside them. They did not have His words speaking to them. They were not being constantly reminded of the opportunities to trust Jesus that they were walking in. WE, however, HAVE that witness. We HAVE that voice. We HAVE the reminder that we can walk in the peace of Adonai. Jesus gave it to His disciples during the Last Supper as He gives it to ALL who come to the communion table (John 14:27). When we look to Jesus, when we REMEMBER Him, then we receive His peace. It doesn’t matter what is happening in the world. It doesn’t matter what is happening in your life. If you remember Him, He gives you peace. Period. He doesn’t give you what you deserve like the world does. He gives you what He has. Period. No matter what (John 16:33).

Ruach HaKodesh is the present presence that reminds us to remember the One who gives Peace. It is the connection we have to the Kingdom of Grace. We don’t have to EARN peace. We have to REMEMBER Jesus. Keep your eyes on Him, remember the covenant He brings you into, remember how He orders your days and holds the Blessing so you can stand underneath it, and PEACE is given. You don’t HAVE to take it, but it is there for you to engage. It is as simple and as easy as opening your eyes. Lifting them to Jesus. Lifting them to the Light that is shining on you and warming up your every cell. Listen to Ruach HaKodesh, and don’t forget it is your RIGHT and your INHERITANCE to look to Jesus and receive His PEACE.

Daily Affirmation of the Goodness of Elohim: Philippians 4:7

“And the peace of God that surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” We are not required to understand. I am SO GRATEFUL for that. There are times I don’t know HOW I am supposed to be at peace. Everything is crazy. Problems are rising. Numbers aren’t lining up. But I don’t have to worry about ANY of that. I don’t have to be anxious about ANY of that. I don’t have to get depressed about ANY of that. I can enter into praise of Adonai and be joyful (Nehemiah 8:10). I can be at peace because Jesus GIVES us peace. He gives it to us because HE wants to give it. Not because we earned it. Not because we deserved it. Because HE wants us to have His peace. He wants us to be standing in the windy spot where Ruach HaKodesh blows the breath of lives into, over, through, and around us. Abundant life. Without strife. Without stress. Without negative passions. Peace. His peace. It doesn’t make sense. It doesn’t NEED to. That isn’t a requirement for us. That is SO AWESOME! We don’t HAVE to understand. We can accept it. We can trust in it. We can believe it. And BAM there it is. Just because He SAID so. Not dependent on logic, feeling, or circumstance. Dependent solely on Jesus. 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