Fear No Fear

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

I know, O Yahweh, that to the human is not his own way, nor to a person is the walking and the directing of his own step.

Jeremiah 10:23

We have an idea of success. Of what constitutes forward motion. It’s how we track our careers. It’s how we measure whether we are succeeding at life or not. And it is usually easy to track. I know of a young man who got trained in household and estate management, the ins and out of ownership and stewardship. Next, he went abroad and was taught the same thing, but on a bigger scale and in a slightly different system – same basic principles though. There were also aspects to the supply chain that he started to apply. He did well at the work and learned a lot. Next, he was placed in an entrance-level position at a fair sized company. There he learned people skills, office management, and more about the supply chain. He advanced right up to VP of Operations in General Management. He was spotted there and was offered the position of Chief Operations Officer of a national corporation. He took it and was soon applying all that he had learned at a national scale. That’s a pretty good trajectory. Sure, there were setbacks and bumps in the road – some major ones – but that isn’t unusual, is it? He applied himself, learned, and got steady advancement from position to position until he was in the upper echelon on the national scale. We look at that and say success. Adonai does too. But HIS idea of what advancement and success is a little different from ours. We need to see HIS point of view and hold to it.

This young man in question is Joseph (Genesis 37-50). When we tell the story of Joseph, we tend to focus on the bumps in the road. Sold into slavery, falsely accused, put into prison, and ignored. But the success trajectory is what I described. He learned household and estate management at home. He learned the same plus some supply chain skills under Potiphar. He learned people skills and management of a company in prison. And finally, he was given control over the nation, utilizing all those skills to help them not only weather a severe famine, but help the nations around them too. He started a favoured son and ended second-in-command of one of the most powerful nations that the world has ever seen. That’s success. The human point of view sees the hardships and struggles. Adonai sees the training and success, the PROTECTION offered to Joseph to keep him on track from beginning to position. We tend to see the trees, but not the forest. Adonai sees the forest, the trees, the leaves, the animals and insects, the moss and fungus, the root system, and all the various connections at interplay between all of them – as well as the weather systems and climate. Our point of view isn’t always wrong, but Adonai’s is FAR superior.

Joseph was saved from an overindulgent father by murderous brothers. He was saved from murderous brothers by slavery. He was saved from sexual immorality by prison. He was saved from prison by his knowledge of the character of Adonai and his reliance on Adonai as his Source. He could have learned to rely on Adonai in ANY of the places he found himself, but this path was the best one to protect him from all the negative influences that could have derailed his calling and possibly ended his life prematurely. Not only was he protected from what sought to kill, steal, and destroy his life (John 10:10), he also got the education for his calling from the circumstances that were saving him. Only Adonai’s guidance could do BOTH. In fact, Joseph was even protected from himself because Adonai arranged things so that many of the biggest decisions were taken out of his hands. Adonai made sure Joseph stayed on the path that would get him from the fields to the palace – and gave him the vision of it at the beginning so he would have hope and eager expectation to cling to during the rough patches.

Ruach HaKodesh speaks to us ALL the time. He NEVER shuts up. EVER. Which is EXACTLY what we need. We are prone to ignoring the information that comes our way. Good advice is not always heeded. Or heard. But a Fruit of Ruach HaKodesh is patience. His never runs out. Not only does He lead us to the passages of the Word that guide us (Psalm 119:105), but also to the ones that teach and correct (2 Timothy 3:16). He reminds us about things Jesus has said to us – through prayer, revelation, and the Word (He doesn’t specify a single kind of talking) – (John 14:26). He is our directional guidance system – and He’s a LOT better than Google Maps (not knocking them). He knows what we need to hear. He knows when we will receive it. He knows the way it needs to be phrased so that we’ll accept it. He knows how to put the focus on the positive ministry, not the negative humanness. He knows the perspective we need to focus on in order to learn, grow, and not let go.

Ruach HaKodesh is an active participant in our spiritual education. We DO need educating (2 Peter 3:18), even as we need to keep the open heart, the trust, and the belief of a child (Matthew 18:3). Ruach HaKodesh is the tutor who leans down and explains the textbook that He wrote to us. Ruach HaKodesh is the guidance counsellor who helps us grow into and choose the path we want to follow. Ruach HaKodesh is the real estate agent who holds our hands through big life decisions and helps us find what fits us – but the us that Adonai sees, not who we see in the mirror. We need to always be listening, testing, submitting to, and then applying what He tells us. He will NEVER steer us wrong. If we hold to what He tells us, we’ll be able to see our situations as management or people training, not prison or hardship. We might not see or understand what we’re being protected from, but we can trust that when we listen to Him we’re always in the right place at the right time doing the right things with the right people. Amen.

Daily Affirmation of the Goodness of Elohim: Luke 12:12

“for the Holy Spirit will teach you in that same hour what it is necessary to say.” Ruach HaKodesh is not a panicker. He’s not with us, living His best life, and then suddenly screaming to Heaven for the words from the Father that we’re supposed to say in any given situation. He’s not caught unawares. He’s omniscient. All knowing. He has the words to give us to say because He knew the situation was coming and He did His homework. He prepared. He is looking into the hearts and minds of all those we interact with and preparing what He wants us to say. He knows what will work. He’s looked into this and gotten the words ready to feed us. Rattles it off without a pause. That’s how ready He is. Jesus prepared for the cross before creation was created (Revelation 13:8). The Father prepared the works that we were to walk in (Ephesians 2:10). Ruach HaKodesh prepared the words, the phrasing, and the delivery of what we need to say to walk out the works that were prepared for us. All of Adonai working together, preparing it all BEFORE we needed it. He is NOT taken by surprise. That should be a HUGE comfort as we progress through life. He is WITH US and He is NOT SURPRISED. 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