Fear No Fear

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

He spread out a cloud for a covering, and fire to give light at night.

Psalm 105:39

Adonai’s children were still in the desert. They were still wandering around in Saudi Arabia in one of the harshest climates around. They were NOT in a promised land. They were NOT in the lap of luxury. They were NOT through hardship as people see hardship. How could they be? Look where they were! Yet there was a cloud covering them. Reducing the heat? Certainly reducing their visibility to enemies or predators. And at night? Light to see by. To move by. To fellowship by. They were not in a place humanity would have chosen to live for forty years, but in spite of that they were provided for in every way. They were – in the midst of a difficult time – provided for better than at almost any other time in their history. Adonai did that.

Culturally speaking, the world is in a fairly harsh climate and it’s getting harsher by the week. We are assailed on all sides. The winds of change are blowing and they’re full of dust to confuse, confound, and fill our senses with nonsense. Human thinking. It isn’t even original thinking, just human thinking. It’s easy to compromise. It’s easy to avoid confrontation. It’s easy to keep our mouths shut and separate ourselves from everything and essentially give up. But Adonai has not changed. We have a BETTER covenant. We have a covenant of GRACE. We have BETTER promises. We have HOPE and we have FULFILLMENT of that HOPE. If Adonai would cover His people and give them Light to see by THEN, Adonai will cover us and give us Light to see by NOW. One of the BEST things about Adonai is His CONSISTENCY.

This isn’t about our meatsack staying on us or us taking it off. This is about VICTORY and PROTECTION. Joseph was protected from his murderous brothers by being sold into slavery. Joseph was protected from immorality by being thrown into prison. From one side of the equation it didn’t LOOK like protection. But it was the path to keep him alive and pure. It was ALSO the only path that let him rise to be second in command of all Egypt and the instrument of saving not only his murderous brothers, but their families as well. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were saved from idolatry by being thrown into a furnace. Jeremiah was saved from a crowd intent on his life by being thrown into a muddy well. Jonah was saved from disobedience and open rebellion by being eaten by a fish. These don’t look like protection from one side, but from another they were absolute faithful protection by Adonai.

Other kinds of protection included Jesus walking through a crowd that was intent on killing him, but not being touched (Luke 4:30). An earthquake ripping a building apart (Acts 16:26-33). An angel opening doors (Acts 12:5-17). A basket let down a wall (2 Corinthians 11:33). How about the sun reflecting off of water (2 Kings 3:22)? These are also all protections. Not all the circumstances surrounding them seemed like protection, but they were nonetheless. Our perspective and Adonai’s are not always the same. We can look back, however, and see His hand at work which helps us next time. Whenever we are asked to do something or go somewhere or we see a situation arising, we can take comfort in the protections of the past (those we know about anyway, I’m positive there are WAY more than we know). We can look at His faithfulness and declare with confidence that He will protect us this time too.

Ruach HaKodesh was there for every time that the Father protected His children or any other human being. He has seen it. He remembers it. And He can remind us. He speaks to us all the time about all sorts of things. One of the things He speaks to us about is remembrance. Jesus also wanted us to walk in remembrance (Mark 14:22-25; Luke 22:18-20; 1 Corinthians 11:23-25). Remembering takes up a HUGE part of our psyche. It helps us to frame our present and expect our future. When we stop putting the past exploits of Adonai before our eyes, we run the risk of forgetting what He’s done. Almost the entirety of Psalm 105 is a remembrance to present and future generations (us) of what Adonai was capable of doing. Of what He had done in the past, and what He could do in the future. He could provide wealth and health. He could sustain our clothes and enable us to walk in health. He can keep us strong. He can bring us peace and safety. He not only COULD do those things, and CAN do those things, but He HAS done those things and brought those things. They are available to ALL believers. If we will only believe.

We MUST trust in Jesus, but to trust we have to BELIEVE Him. We will find believing MUCH easier if we will remember what He has done. And what He is doing right now. Things we take for granted can become beacons of hope and a source of strength to us and our trust. We can be cemented in it. Just as hearing the Word strengthens and deepens Adonai’s trust that He has given us (Mark 11:22; Romans 10:17); remembrance strengthens and deepens our belief in Adonai (2 Timothy 2:14). Ruach HaKodesh plays a pivotal role in helping us remember what He has done (John 14:26). The deeds Adonai has done will become the cloud Ruach HaKodesh covers us with. The promises Adonai has kept will become the fire that Ruach HaKodesh lights the darkness with. Ruach HaKodesh will use the TRUTH to bring us comfort through remembering His deeds, His word, His promises, and all the fulfillment of them that Adonai has done and is doing continually in our lives. They are a protection we get from Him. They are WORTH remembering.

Daily Affirmation of the Goodness of Elohim: John 16:13

“But when he—the Spirit of truth—comes, he will guide you into all the truth. For he will not speak from himself, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will proclaim to you the things to come.” We – as humanity – are not that smart. Even at our very, VERY smartest we do foolish things. It doesn’t matter if you are male or female, we are not always top of the charts. When we don’t see things almost constantly, we forget about them. How ridiculous is that? Just because I didn’t email my friend on the other side of the world today doesn’t mean that they don’t exist anymore. Just because we haven’t been to the moon for a few decades doesn’t mean our footprints aren’t still there. Just because I’m no longer in formal school doesn’t mean I don’t have a lot to learn. Just because Adonai parted the Red Sea thousands of years ago and not since, doesn’t mean He can’t. If the past isn’t made part of our present, we forget it. Well, Adonai has us covered. We may be responsible for remembering the past and keeping it presently in front of our eyes, but HE takes the responsibility for us to remember the future. That’s right, REMEMBER the FUTURE. Adonai has Ruach HaKodesh tell us about the future, about things He is GOING to do, so that we don’t forget what He is capable of doing. Do that when it comes to pass we can get excited and add that to our present remembrances. So that we will build belief in the NEXT future thing He tells us about. So that we strengthen that part of us that BELIEVES when He says something. We don’t need to analyze it. We don’t need to measure it. We can simply BELIEVE it and wait for it to come to pass with eager expectation. WE can’t see the future, but because of Adonai, we can REMEMBER it. 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