Fear No Fear

(All scripture from the World English Bible, ebible.org, all rights reserved)

The statutes and the ordinances, and the law and the commandment which he wrote for you, you shall observe to do forever more. You shall not fear other gods. You shall not forget the covenant that I have made with you. You shall not fear other gods. But you shall fear the LORD your God, and he will deliver you out of the hand of all your enemies.”
2 Kings 17:37-39 (emphasis added)

Location, location, location! That’s what real estate is all about, right? Are you in the right place and the right time for that promotion, job opportunity, or other bonus event? Sometimes we attribute it to luck. Other times to good planning. But in every case it’s all about positioning. Position seems to determine the end result. If we are in the right position, positive things happen. If we are in the wrong position, negative things happen. If it is true in the world, it is truer in the spirit because all things on earth are mirrors of the spiritual realm. Anything the world brings is a pale imitation of the Kingdom of Heaven. But as children of Yahweh God we are in the Kingdom of God and straddle two worlds: in the world, but not of the world (John 17:14).

“Even as the Father has loved me, I also have loved you. Remain in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will remain in my love, even as I have kept my Father’s commandments and remain in his love” (John 15:9-10). Position. It’s so important. To remain is to stay in the same place, with the same people or group. That means YOU aren’t moving. It doesn’t mean HE is throwing us away. It’s a shift of our thinking, but it opens us up to the Lord’s love in an amazing way. It’s taking to heart 2 Peter 3:9 “The Lord is not slow concerning his promise, as some count slowness; but he is patient with us, not wishing that anyone should perish, but that all should come to repentance.” Yahweh God loves everyone, wants to see no one perish, and isn’t doing anything to cast any of us away even when we are doing sinful things. It is WE who are moving. WE who are choosing hell. HE has already reconciled Himself to humanity. Jesus accomplished that on the cross. Done deal. Once and for all time. God and man reconciled. Period. His part is done. Offering it out to us. We take it or not, we abide in Him or not, we enter heaven with Him or not.

The Lord remembers things. He knows every word He ever said to every person ever. He remembers every promise — and keeps them. He remembers His covenants and honours them. Scripture tells us in Titus 1:2 and Numbers 23:19 that God is not a man that He should lie. That He speaks and makes it good. It could also say that God is not a man that He should forget. God never forgets. Wait, you say. What about sin? It says in Isaiah 43:25 that He won’t remember our sins. It does say that there and in other places as well. But look at the wording: “I, even I, am he who blots out your transgressions for my own sake; and I will not remember your sins.” He isn’t forgetting our sin as much as blotting it out, making it as if it doesn’t exist and never has. That isn’t forgetting, that is annihilation.

There is not a lot that we are to do. I mean, it gets complex and crazy because of this world we have built up. There is nuance and striving and working and constant watch dogging. But that is because of the failures of the flesh. Which is why He made it so simple. We’re to remember the boundaries. They aren’t a series of DOs and DO NOTs. They are the boundary lines where He declares THIS is the Kingdom of God. Here. In this area. This is where my Blessing lives. This is where my presence is bountiful and multiplied. This is where I thrive and grow and cultivate. We stay in the boundary by obeying. That is about as simple as it gets. He says stay in the yard. And then we stay in the yard. We do it by reverencing Him.

No one likes rules. Well.. Okay. Some ‘weird’ people like rules. Like my older brother. I think he likes rules. But generally, we don’t like rules. We don’t like to be told what to do. We don’t like having to obey. But you’ll find that if we like someone. If we respect them. If there is something about them that we honour, we are more likely to be willing to obey them. To not break their rules. Out of respect. Not because we necessarily agree, but we put our US on hold in favour of their deal. If we reverenced the Lord, we would feel that same way but more. Because it wouldn’t be about the rules. It wouldn’t be about the giving up, the not doing, the ‘okay, if it’s for you’. This would be a reverence for the Lord and what He has done for us. And having that knowledge revealed to us sparking off the honest, deep down, nothing more important desire to make Him smile. To obey because we want to please HIM. Because we reverence Him. Because we remember our agreement.

When we got saved we made Jesus Lord over our lives (Romans 10:9). That is a covenant agreement. That stands. That is the real and bare bones truth. He IS Lord. We acknowledge that. We believe that. Consequently, we let Him be Lord of us since He is Lord of all (Philippians 2:9-11). That means we consent willingly to His rules. We have acknowledged Him as Lord. He has the right to say what is right and wrong. God is the source of all Righteousness. God has a clear idea of what is and is not righteous. He has told us via His Word and the revelations and corrections of the Holy Spirit. We need to uphold them. Honour them. And obey them. To walk in that behaviour as a way to respect and honour Him. To keep it in our minds and before our eyes and to not forget it.

What benefit is there to staying in the yard? He delivers us. Is that not the best promise? Is that not something worth staying in the yard for? This world is not righteous. This is a world of problems. Issues. Selfishness. Everywhere you turn there is opportunity for something to go not right. To be in the spotlight. To be on the carpet before the boss. To be flagged down by the police. For finances not to work out. For a lack of food security. For anxiety. For not knowing what to do next. To make repairs. To have needs. We turn to others to get help. Partners, spouses, friends, co-workers, parents, relatives, government agencies, charities, churches, philanthropists, games of chance, the stock market, and the lottery. Any and every avenue to get relief. To get a solution.

God has a solution. Jesus knows what we’re going through (Hebrews 4:12-16). The Father knows what we need (Matthew 6:8). And God has plans for us greater and better than our plans could ever be (Jeremiah 29:11). He is willing, eager, and able to deliver us. And He does. He delivers those who walk in His ways. He delivers those who stay in the yard where His deliverance is. Before we are saved we’re locked out of the yard. Jesus stands at the gate. His sacrifice and resurrection to life enable Him to open the gate and invite us in. But we have to choose to go in. Once in, we need to choose to stay. To remain in the yard and under His blessing. It’s not always easy. Everyone and everything imaginable is asking us to leave the yard. To come out and play. Small game. Hardly noticeable. Just for a bit. If we leave, we leave the safety He has provided. We leave the joy and peace and fulfilment. And if you weren’t experiencing the joy and peace and fulfilment maybe you weren’t inside the yard at all. Maybe you were at the fence, looking in, face pressed against the links, and fingers wiggling through the spaces.

Psalm 18:1-14 “I love you, LORD, my strength. The LORD is my rock, my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge; my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my high tower. I call on the LORD, who is worthy to be praised; and I am saved from my enemies. The cords of death surrounded me. The floods of ungodliness made me afraid. The cords of Sheol were around me. The snares of death came on me. In my distress I called on the LORD, and cried to my God. He heard my voice out of his temple. My cry before him came into his ears. Then the earth shook and trembled. The foundations also of the mountains quaked and were shaken, because he was angry. Smoke went out of his nostrils. Consuming fire came out of his mouth. Coals were kindled by it. He bowed the heavens also, and came down. Thick darkness was under his feet. He rode on a cherub, and flew. Yes, he soared on the wings of the wind. He made darkness his hiding place, his pavilion around him, darkness of waters, thick clouds of the skies. At the brightness before him his thick clouds passed, hailstones and coals of fire. The LORD also thundered in the sky. The Most High uttered his voice: hailstones and coals of fire. He sent out his arrows, and scattered them. He routed them with great lightning bolts.”

This is the God we serve. His yoke is light (Matthew 11:28-30). He is worthy of our praise and obedience. Not because He is fearful and about to squash us. But because He is loving and seeks to save us with all He has. If we reverence Him, if we obey His voice, then He will deliver us with all that He has and all that He does. That is nothing to sneeze at. That is the creator of the universe being on your side. Reverence the Lord and only the Lord. Don’t dabble with the supernatural. Don’t decide to bring back the customs and practices of your family from years past. Walk in victory in Jesus. Walk in deliverance by Jesus. Walk in the smile and shine of the Father. Down good paths prepared for us by Him (Proverbs 3:6). In loving kindness, mercy, goodness, and truth. Remember His covenants and walk in them today and every day to come. Stay in the yard.

Daily Affirmation of God’s Love: 2 Chronicles 6:14-15

Our God is a God of covenant. Our God is a God of loving kindness. He does not forsake His covenants or let those who follow Him err in their covenants. A great example of this is Abraham and Abimelech (Genesis 21:22-24). Abraham pledged to do no wrong to Abimelech or his son or his son’s sons. And he didn’t. But God sent the Israelites to take back the Promised Land from those who had squandered their stewardship (Joshua). Part of that land had people descended from Abimelech, didn’t it? But that would have been a violation of Abraham’s covenant. Deuteronomy 2:23 tells us that God permitted other people to invade and conquer that territory, eliminating those people. When the Israelites went in and redeemed the land, none of the descendants of Abimelech were harmed by the Israelites. That is a covenant keeping God. And if God is so careful with the people who had rejected him (the Avvim), then won’t He be much more careful with the covenants He makes with us? There are five main covenants in the bible and God is keeping each and every one. On every side of the covenant. Through all generations. His Word doesn’t change, stumble, fail, or falter. He is a God who can be trusted to be true and faithful. Just and Pure. His covenants are trustworthy and His love doubly so. His Loving Kindness endures forever (Psalm 100 & Psalm 136). He is a GOOD God and both His Love and His Faithfulness are extended to you forever. Why fear? Why worry? Why doubt His love? It is as true as the truth can be. Now and evermore.

Your Daily Confession of God’s love to YOU:

Today God loves that I _______.