Fear No Fear

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

But know this, that in the last days difficult times will come, for people will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, arrogant, slanderers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, hardhearted, irreconcilable, slanderous, without self-control, savage, with no interest for what is good, traitors, reckless, conceited, loving pleasure rather than loving God, maintaining a form of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid these people.

2 Timothy 3:1-5

The world is not an easy place for a believer. Things are SIMPLE, but not EASY. And the longer things go on, the worse they are going to get. The world as it exists around us has a ‘predisposition for disorder, complexity and unpredictability’ (Introduction to Exploring Chaos, Norton, 1993). It is the fallen condition (Genesis 3). If there are weeds, they’re going to grow (Matthew 13:24-30). All the behaviour that we are drawn to because they come out of the character and nature of Adonai will be mirrored by a twisted and distorted moral framework where anything goes. There are places on this Earth that are DEDICATED to providing a place for people to give in to that desire. It is inevitable that the godly and the ungodly will rub against each other. It is also inevitable that without the right protection, the ungodly will smear the godly. Filth rubs off anywhere it can gain a purchase. Cleanliness, however, is a choice. It doesn’t smear.

The devil exists in perpetual disappointment and frustration. We were made in the image of Adonai and rightfully worship Adonai. He wants our attention because he wants to be in Adonai’s place. But when he tries to get us to be like him, we end up like him and looking to be worshipped ourselves. Or we go the other way and made addiction our god, doing the most depraved things to satisfy the hole inside ourselves. The devil doesn’t want us alcoholics or drug addicts or sexual predators or murdering psychopaths. He wants us pure and worshipping him. But that doesn’t work, since without Adonai we deteriorate. The devil is disgusted by us, but at least we’re not worshipping Yahweh? Yay?Sometimes he finds someone who will worship him, but mostly he goes the destroy and kill route because there is nothing else he can do. People who love themselves, don’t care about ANYONE else. When we love ourselves, we do it at the expense of everyone else. No one else is going to get our attention in a positive way because we only want to give ourselves that positive attention. Period.

That’s what leads to the moral deterioration of ourselves and our society. That’s what leads to murders, lying, slander, adultery, drinking, smoking, and everything else. We care about how we FEEL and nothing else rates. We might reinforce someone else’s self-love policies, but that isn’t the same as truly respecting them, caring about them, or loving them. They don’t love or support ANYONE or ANYTHING more than they love themselves. This is NOT how we were created. That is NOT why we have what we have within us. Each of these elements of ungodly living have things that could be said about them, but I won’t bother. I don’t want to take up that kind of space. Ruach HaKodesh does a MUCH better job talking about them because it is personalized talk directed at exactly what it is that is riding or trying to ride us.

Ruach HaKodesh doesn’t sit there saying THAT’S BAD THAT’S BAD like some stuck record. Instead, He shows us who we can be in Jesus in that situation. He speaks to us about exactly how we can trust Jesus in the situation we are in. He is the ungodliness warning that occurs within us when we are shown the right path. Through the Word, Ruach HaKodesh illuminates the Way we are to walk (Psalm 119:105). Through His consistent speaking to us, we hear about how Adonai sees us, what Jesus enables us to do, and how Jesus won our overcoming. It’s all about accepting Jesus’ yoke and obeying what Adonai tells us to do. It’s simple. But it is not easy. We need to be praising and thanking Adonai to keep our channel open. So that we don’t turn the dial to the devils’ hotline. To keep our eyes on the prize that is life in Jesus (John 10:10). We NEED to HEED. If we do, repentance, correction, guidance, and teaching become the helps to keep us securely under His wings, not running around in traffic screaming about how great we are. He keeps us in peace and safety when we rely on Him.

Daily Affirmation of the Goodness of Elohim: Psalm 119:105

“Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” Dorothy got yellow bricks to follow. Nice and visible. Simple instructions. But she constantly got off the path. Sure, she had a lot of help along the way and frequently got off to help others, but she failed miserably in following the one thing she was told to follow. We are given a path to follow. We are given the Word to illuminate that path. We are given a guide who constantly whispers that Word into our ears so that we always have a remembrance of the appropriate thing to do at any given time. We’re also given correction, instruction, guidance, advice, and the exact words to say to bring about Adonai’s will on the Earth. We’re given the opportunity to praise and worship the One who is the Source of all things in our lives. We have SUCH a better deal than Dorothy. No surprise endings. No waster of time adventure. Just help and assurance. Just companionship from the One who laid the road as we walk down it. We may trip, stumble, or fall, but He is always there to get us on our feet (if we’re willing to rise) and walking in the right direction (if we’ll listen and obey). Just follow the Ruach-Filled Road. 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