Fear No Fear

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

You hope of Israel, its Saviour in the time of trouble, why should you be as a foreigner in the land, and as a wayfaring man who turns aside to stay for a night? Why should you be like a scared man, as a mighty man who can’t save? Yet you, LORD, are in the middle of us, and we are called by your name. Don’t leave us.
Jeremiah 14:8-9 (emphasis added)

This was intercession by Jeremiah for Israel. This is desperate prayer for the people who were making a career of forsaking Yahweh God. I see it as a very loud echo of the intercession of Moses for the people in the desert. It is so easy to look at the Old Testament and what the people of Israel put themselves through and think: what was the matter with them? God clearly asks them for simple behaviour, provides for them for when they’ll inevitably miss it, is VERY present in a real-world way, and they still walked away from Him more often than not. How dumb were they? No wonder He called them sheep. But God didn’t start the sheep analogy. They first called Him a shepherd—automatically identifying as sheep or a herd. And then they went and behaved exactly as sheep DON’T. Sheep are a great thing to identify as.

Sheep have rectangular pupils, so they see a wide view of almost 360 degrees. They have a great idea of their surroundings at all times. Their depth perception isn’t phenomenal, but their hearing is and as lambs they rely on the voice of their mothers to get around. We too have a good idea of our surroundings (2 Corinthians 4:8-10). Proverbs 20:12 says “The hearing ear, and the seeing eye, the LORD has made even both of them“. And we’re expected to use them, but He doesn’t leave us to flounder. “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me” (John 10:27).

Sheep have two upper lips which allows them to be very selective about what they eat. They can avoid stems and get more leaves, getting better nutrition out of foraging. What is it that WE should eat? “Jesus answered them, “Most certainly I tell you, you seek me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate of the loaves and were filled. Don’t work for the food which perishes, but for the food which remains to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you. For God the Father has sealed him”” (John 6:26-27). What should we work to consume? ““I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will not be hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty” (John 6:35). If we eat His flesh and blood, we remain in Him and He in us. It is the food that provides eternal life (John 6:56-57). This is what we symbolise with Communion. We enter into that life-giving Covenant with Jesus. It’s worth it for it to be a daily practise. To remember what He did for us EVERY day.

The wool on sheep never stop growing and needs to be shorn regularly or it will negatively impact their health. We need regular pruning by the Lord too. We are referred to as branches of the True Vine in John 15. After three intense years of training (with many well-documented moments of correction and stepping wrong) the disciples are called pruned clean in verse 3. Pruned clean by the Word. And it is with the Word we are called to keep pruned. We are never to let it fade away out of our consciousness (1 John 2:14). We are cleansed by it. Made into the bride that Christ deserves: “Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the assembly and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, that he might present the assembly to himself gloriously, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without defect” (Ephesians 5:25-27).

Sheep are intelligent. They can recognise and remember up to fifty (50) faces of sheep and humans for up to two years. We can sometimes be hard pressed to remember our barista’s name and we see them every day. Sheep have navigated complex mazes. They have demonstrated intuitive thinking and problem solving. They may look bland in the brains department, but there is a lot going on there. We are also called to be wise in how we interact with each other. “Walk in wisdom towards those who are outside, redeeming the time. Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one” (Colossians 4:5-6). We are also called not to think of our wisdom as making us special. God provides us with everything. He is the source, not us. “Let no one deceive himself. If anyone thinks that he is wise amongst you in this world, let him become a fool that he may become wise. For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, “He has taken the wise in their craftiness”” (1 Corinthians 3:18-19).

Sheep are highly social animals with emotionally complex and distinct personalities. They can make friends and come to that friends’ defence. They do best when in a herd or group. Not just for social interaction, but because with the group looking out for each other — those fast friendships — there is a higher likelihood that they will both notice a predator and bond together to avoid it. Lions don’t charge into a group of animals because they would be overpowered. They wait for individuals to wander away and then pounce. “Be sober and self-controlled. Be watchful. Your adversary, the devil, walks around like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour” (1 Peter 5:8). That’s how the enemy has to get you. Alone, not strong with fellow believers. In fact, Peter goes on in verse 9 to say “Withstand him steadfast in your faith, knowing that your brothers who are in the world are undergoing the same sufferings.” Colossians 3:14-16 says “Above all these things, walk in love, which is the bond of perfection. And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body, and be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly; in all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your heart to the Lord.” One body. Teaching and admonishing one another. Binding together in fellowship we are stronger than when we are alone, lost, and not tapped into the resource which is the Church. Are there issues with it? Yes, but if we all look to Christ as our head we can eliminate them. Not because we can, but because Jesus can. In Him we can all — individually and collectively — be all that He has called us to be instead of who we think we should be.

Sheep can do a lot of other things. They can self-medicate, eating herbs and plants that are beneficial and help improve their health. They can identify when they are not at their healthy peak and avoid areas that their compromised immune systems can’t handle. Some can grow horns which can also be used in defence. They use facial expressions to project and identify emotions. They have a great sense of smell. There are over a thousand different breeds. And they teach their young what they know, passing on their experiences and the benefits of their lives to the next generations.

In fact, the only reason the Lord would have for continuing the sheep analogy once Jacob first called Him a shepherd (Genesis 48:15) is because He sees us in a better light than we see ourselves. We see sheep as stupid, defenceless, and in desperate need of guidance and protection 24/7. But the Father sees us through the lens of Jesus. Jesus sees us through the lens of who He has called us to be. And the Holy Spirit works constantly to correct, guide, teach, and lead us into that which we have been called. They work tirelessly to keep us from dwelling on the fact that we are dirt (Psalm 103:14) and to get us to lift our eyes to the possibilities inherent in our calling as His children (1 John 3:1-3).

It is easy to see the Israelites as fools. They walked away from the Lord so many times. But are we any different? No, we’re not sacrificing our children in flames. But we do sacrifice them to the idols of popular culture. Telling them that things are ‘just entertainment’ while we let them fill their minds with morals and ideals that the Word doesn’t share. Take sex, for example. We have it so ingrained in our culture that people consider it a ‘need’. That dating someone (casually or seriously) inherently has sex as a component of that relationship. This is NOT what the Word teaches. In fact, if we put sex (for procreation, for pleasure, and as a tool of intimacy) into the proper position in our lives, would we see it as a ‘need’? Would we have the raging hormones that we expect all kids to have? Probably not. Why? Not because the hormones aren’t there. But because if we remove the hyper-sexuality that is rampant in our culture, there wouldn’t be dozens upon dozens of boundaryless outlets for it. We can approach sexuality with an informed attitude that doesn’t include viewing it as a mere animal impulse that we are genetically programmed to give into at every opportunity.

How much else are we worshipping in our lives? Altars of violence, greed, and gluttony? And that is just based on the last commercial break I saw. These attitudes are everywhere and we place them before our eyes and ears almost constantly. We’re called to not do that. We aren’t called to avoid all things that are pleasurable and entertaining, but we ARE called to put the Word first and foremost. If you make it the centre of your life and a main source of thought, a love for it will grow in you. It won’t be a chore, but an eager anticipation. It will change your mind, improve your thinking, and give you a clarity to life that is almost unbelievable. “It will be health to your body, and nourishment to your bones” (Proverbs 3:8).

Jesus should not be a foreigner in our lives. He should not be someone we put up in a hostel or an Airbnb for the night. Why should we be walking like a powerless person who presents as strong but can’t accomplish anything? The Lord should be our foundation. Our fortress. Our rock. The Word should be our food and drink. Jesus is everything to all humanity. We need to acknowledge that and give Him the place the Father put Him in: Name Above all Names. God is more than a concept for when you are in need. God is a being we can interact with. A parent, Lord, and counsellor. He is what gives us meaning. He is what we are striving to be like. In Jesus, we can get there because He has promised us that when we stand before the throne we will be there. It is a lifelong journey that will become an eternal one. Us being like Jesus. This is the Grace He gives us. But if we won’t walk with Him, we’ll be walking away from Him. Instead of being a sheep in a flock under the eyes of the Good Shepherd, we’ll be lost and alone and stalked by lions. Don’t walk away from the Lord. Grab the Word and get close to Him today and every day. Be a sheep, not a snack.

Daily Affirmation of God’s Love: Exodus 3:14-15

God answers our questions, but sometimes we have to wait a bit. In Genesis 22:7-8, Isaac asks “Here is the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?” Abraham said, “God will provide himself the lamb for a burnt offering, my son.” Thousands of years later, God Himself provided the sacrifice. Jesus came and died for us (John 3:14-21). In Exodus Moses asked God a question that God answered with improper English. At the burning bush, God was sending Moses to the Israelites to lead them out of bondage. Moses asks God who he should say sent him. What name he should give. God replies, ‘I Am Who I Am’ or I Am THAT I Am. Thousands of years later, Jesus responded. Seven times. Jesus said I Am: the bread of life (Adonai and Jehovah Jireh); the light of the world (Shaddai and Jehovah Sabaoth); the door (El and Jehovah Nissi); the good shepherd (Ehyeh-Asher-Ehyeh and Jehovah Rohi); the resurrection and the life (YHWH/Yahweh and Jehovah Rapha); the way, the truth, and the life (Elohim and Jehovah Tsidkenu); and the true vine (Zeba’ot and Jehovah Shalom). Jesus will lead, guide, protect, and cause to become that which He desires. Jesus will provide. Jesus will restore and make healthful. Jesus is our Righteousness. Jesus is our peace, prosperity, and the One who is more than enough. Jesus is our covering and banner; our strength and victory. Jesus is the Lord of the Hosts, the angelic armies of God which He uses to lift us up and minister to us. Jesus is THE answer. Who is He? He is everything we needed, everything we need now, and everything we will need in the future. He is the I AM Who is I Am. The One before, the One now, and the One that will be. Alpha/Omega. Our beginning and our ending. He loved us, loves us, and will love us. He is our everything — if we’ll let Him be. Think over the names and what they mean. Decide if they mean that for you, and if they do, worship Him for who He is. He loves you too much to be anything less than all that He can be.

Your Daily Confession of God’s love to YOU:

Today God loves that I _______.