Fear No Fear

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

“Then the officer on whom the king relied answered the man of God and said, “Look, even if Yahweh is making windows in heaven, could this thing happen?” And he said, “Look, you will be seeing it with your eyes, but you shall not eat from it there.”

2 Kings 7:2

One of the best things about having a best friend or spouse are the unexpected moments that occur. The surprises they spring on us. An encouraging word. A thoughtful gift. An unexpected getaway. Sometimes it is very small. A smile or a look can suffice. They are never things you expect. They are never required. They are freely given moments of enjoyment: their enjoyment of having you as an important part of their lives. They are signs of the true appreciation of who you are that lives in their hearts. And when they are consistent, we might NEVER know when they are going to happen, but we DO expect that sooner or later they WILL happen. They are an unexpected expectation in the best way.

We have a tendency to set expectations in stone. Take Valentine’s Day and its Japanese partner White Day. They are days which may once have been meant as an opportunity to show appreciation. They have become days saddled with a MASSIVE amount of expectation. Not only is it EXPECTED that you show appreciation on these days, you are PUNISHED if you do NOT show expectation. Or they leave us on pins and needles, a day of celebration twisted into a roller coaster of anxiety as you wonder if you will be publicly lauded or publicly denuded. Many a reputation in high school and adult social circles have been marred by the lack of recognition (given or received) on these days. Anniversaries and birthdays have also crept into this realm of EXPECTED behaviour. Should you forget one or do some lacklustre last minute gesture? You will be in TROUBLE. The sheer disappointment of those whose anniversaries and birthdays didn’t live up to expectations can be felt for BLOCKS.

Adonai diffuses the whole thing. He tells us flat out right from the beginning what we can EXPECT. He lets us know it is because of HIS grace and HIS mercy, NOT our performance and worthiness – in fact, it is clear as can be that we have NO WAY to EVER be worthy in and of ourselves. He lets us know what happens when we are obedient (the BLESSING manifested in our lives) and what happens when we are disobedient (the CURSE manifested in our lives). He makes it clear it is not what we DO but the HEART in which we do it that matters. Giving tithes don’t get us things from Adonai. Giving JOYFULLY enables us to receive things (material, spiritual, or both) . We don’t do to try and manipulate Adonai. It is with our HEART centred in and on His LOVE that unlocks the things of the Kingdom He says we can walk in. Our expectation isn’t bound up in OUR expectations or what WE think we deserve or what WE think should happen, but on what Adonai says in the Word. And that’s just the things we KNOW about. There is a whole OTHER kind of thing.

Adonai LOVES us. Adonai LOVES to bless us. Adonai is NOT BOUND by what WE perceive. In today’s verse a complete reversal of a situation was prophesied. The prophet (Elisha) EXPECTED Adonai to turn things around, but had not known when. The word of Adonai came to him and he passed it along. To bring hope. To stir expectation in others. But the officer who heard it scoffed. How could the siege be lifted when they had no army to fight? How could their crushing defeat (inevitable within days) be lifted? How could this happen when they had NO allies, NO friends, and NO hope? Because Adonai isn’t bound by OUR expectations, OUR situation, or OUR restrictions. He is OUTSIDE the box that HE created. He is the ULTIMATE and ONLY free agent there is. Because of THAT, we can eagerly expect not only the unexpected, but the IMPOSSIBLE.

“‘Ah Lord Yahweh! Look, you made the heavens and the earth by your great power and by your outstretched arm. Nothing is too difficult for you,” (Jeremiah 32:17). “But Jesus looked at them and said to them, “With human beings this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”” (Matthew 19:26). “I know that you can do all things, and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted” (Job 42:2). “For nothing will be impossible with God” (Luke 1:37). Adonai is bound by His Word because He chooses to be just. That means He honours our free choice. But our free choice doesn’t control a vast area. Our free choice regulates a specific area. The area of cooperating with the will of Adonai or refusing to cooperate with the will of Adonai. WITH Him provides more opportunities than WITHOUT Him. But Adonai can also move on His own to do what He wills in any way He wants. He meets us where we are, but the possibilities on His side are endless. He doesn’t need to do things in ways that we understand. Or according to the rules that we are bound by. He can do the impossible. It’s only impossible to US.

Our expectations of what Adonai will and will not do should be left open ended. Don’t limit Adonai by refusing to cooperate with the impossible. Or by insisting on the merely improbable or the completely possible. Let Adonai do what He wants – He’s going to get His purposes done if you cooperate or not. Why not cooperate and participate in the benefits of obedience? Why not expect Him to do any and everything He wants to? Why not thank Him for solutions and not concern yourself with how they are delivered? Why not be open to spectacular things occurring out of NOWHERE simply because Adonai wanted to bless you that day? Why not learn to walk where He wants, when He wants, and be willing to give anything He asks and receive anything He gives? Why not live a life of unexpected expectations without limit, requirement, or human reasoning? Why not train yourself to live like Jesus lived?

Daily Affirmation of the Goodness of Elohim: Hebrews 6:18

“in order that through two unchangeable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have taken refuge may have powerful encouragement to hold fast to the hope set before us.” When humans prove themselves trustworthy, they do it in check-able ways. Other people need to be able to see the results and judge it. Adonai, however, has nothing and no one greater than Himself. So He uses Himself as the standard of His faithfulness. He has proven His faithfulness time and time again throughout the history of humanity. From the beginning to now and into the future, His changeless character and deep desire for our presence in Him and His in us has informed every step He has taken and ever step He has asked us to take. His consistency is of a level we can barely comprehend it. We need to see the impossible before we can understand it. We need to be stretched beyond what we are and what we can do in order to ‘get’ it (Isaiah 55:8-9). Which is one of the reasons we’ve been given the Spirit of Truth (John 16:13). So that we have access to a mind that CAN comprehend it and CAN bring us into the place where WE can as well (1 Corinthians 2:16). He doesn’t leave us where we can’t understand Him, but brings us to the place where we can. So that we will be able to know Him like He knows us (1 Corinthians 13:12). 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