Fear No Fear

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

who satisfies your life with good so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.

Psalm 103:5

Anyone in the service industry knows the power of the upsell. Getting new customers into your business is costly. Really costly. But selling better and pricier things to existing customers is not. They’re already there. You can guide them to different things to meet their needs and expose them to new products, which makes you more money because you didn’t have to spend all the money to get them there. Airlines offer upgrades to their seats. Hotels offer upgrades to their rooms. Software companies (business and entertainment) offer packages and premium versions. If you’re already there buying, why not get this one that does better/has more? It can be done for sleazy reasons like getting them to buy the item with more mark-up. It can be done to build better relationships, satisfy more customer needs, and be a benefit for both sides. Either way, upselling is part and parcel of the commerce transaction. It is easy to get caught up with it. But thanksgiving with Adonai is NOT a commerce transaction.

Thanksgiving is about expressing appreciation. Every server worth their salt thanks their customers. They welcome them to the place of business, treat them with kindness and gratitude during their time there, and thank them for having come in when they go. It is a welcoming attitude. One that makes them want to return. To head to that place where everybody knows your name. Your ‘third place’, after home and work, where you spend your time. Companies have spent hundreds of thousands, if not millions of dollars trying to make this place. There is great value in feeling welcome in a place. One of the great benefits of practising gratitude in the heart toward Adonai is a welcome feeling on both sides. We feel welcome in His presence and He feels welcome in ours. It is a mark of being a believer and truster in Him (Romans 8:9).

But what about when we get past the greetings. When we’ve finished washing His feet (John 13:1-17), expressed our gratitude that He is with us, and we get onto the ordering. Not just what He would like from us, but what we would like from Him. The small, but important part of prayer that happens after the praise and worship (Matthew 6:9-13, especially vs 11). Don’t try and upsell Adonai. Don’t let your WANTS take over. Be satisfied with your NEEDS being met while preparing for more – the wants. Adonai has promised to meet ALL our NEEDS (Philippians 4:19; Matthew 6:31-33). They WILL be met. We’re THANKING Him, not ASKING for them. We should have full trust that they will be met. We should believe Him about it 100%. With NO doubt at all, because He is trustworthy. Period.

When we move into the arena of WANTS, we’re asking for something more than our needs. IF those wants are godly – something to bring Him glory and not just greed – we KNOW we will have them too (1 John 5:14). If we’re asking for things for OUR desires purely and He has no part in them, they are NOT godly requests (James 4:3). Remember, He WANTS to bless us. He’s not KEEPING things from us. He ONLY keeps ungodly things from us. He ONLY doesn’t give what will cause us to stumble. That doesn’t mean we will never get it, only that we need to get His thinking on it. Take money. Some people are DESTROYED when they get money. Those kinds of people need HIS thinking on money in order to receive it and thrive. When we ask and don’t get, we need to check our motives and check our thinking against the Word. Our prayer requests – like everything ELSE in the Kingdom – is NOT about getting Adonai to do or give what WE want. It is about US choosing to receive what HE wants. “May your kingdom come, may your will be done on earth as it is in heaven” (Matthew 6:10).

In our needs and in our wants, we should be giving thanks to Adonai for the opportunity to come before the Throne to communicate with Him. “Therefore let us approach with confidence to the throne of grace, in order that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need” (Hebrews 4:16). This is the REASON we come to Him: to receive His mercy and grace. This is salvation. This is the Good News: we can have it because of what Jesus did! The highlight of EVERY day should be the opportunity we have to thank Him for it. To show our gratitude with our thanksgiving and praise. Not to GET something, but to truly appreciate all that He IS and all that He DOES. To LOVE as we are LOVED. And yes, it will renew us, bless us, and make us better bit by bit every day of our lives.

Thank you, Adonai, for being who You are. Thank you, Ruach HaKodesh, for never letting us forget the wonderfulness of our Elohim and King. Thank you, Jesus, for all you did for us and the great love you show for us. We love you. We thank you. We worship you, and we bless you. Thank you. SO much! Amen.

Daily Affirmation of the Goodness of Elohim: John 14:27

“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you—not as the world gives, I give to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid.” Adonai doesn’t give like the world gives. In the natural world we can be told we’re getting something and we can be promised something, but until it actually shows up in our hands we’re not sure if we’re getting it OR if it will be as it was advertised as being. Adonai doesn’t work like that. He is faithful. He is true. And He is good. When Adonai promises something, you get it. Period. It will be EXACTLY what He said and will work EXACTLY as He said it did. In fact, He is SO FAITHFUL you don’t even need to wait until you have received something to thank Him for it. Timing is HIS province, thankfulness is OURS. It is a mark of how much we trust Him when we thank Him for stuff we haven’t received yet AS IF WE HAVE. It isn’t thanks we’ll have it one day. It’s thank you I have it. He is THAT dependable. He is THAT faithful. He is THAT truthful. If HE promises, He WILL deliver (Romans 4:21; Hebrews 10:23). 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