Fear No Fear

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

“For by grace you are saved through faith, and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God; it is not from works, so that no one can boast.“

Ephesians 2:8-9

Life was not designed to be difficult. It was meant to be simple. Work was a part of that and effort is required, but it isn’t TOIL. It’s just work. Work isn’t difficult. It is what you do to get something accomplished. We weren’t meant to go it alone, though. We were given each other as helpers and co-labourers (Genesis 2:18). When we rejected the plan and went our own way, Adonai made a Way so that we could again have a co-labourer in our assignment of life. “For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field, God’s building” (1 Corinthians 3:9). When we were perfect, this was the plan. Now that we are perfect IN JESUS, this is STILL the plan. We are to HAVE life, not STRUGGLE WITH life.

“The thief comes only so that he can steal and kill and destroy; I have come so that they may have life, and have it abundantly” (John 10:10). Jesus came to give us a life that is MORE THAN what we can have on our own. We are to rely on HIM. We are to look to HIM. We are NOT meant to go it alone or in our own strength. Right from the idea of salvation onward it is not OUR merit that gets us in right standing with Adonai, but HIS merit (Ephesians 2:9). In HIM we have the fullness of life, not apart from Him (John 15:5). If we are connected to the One who IS LIFE, then life becomes a SIMPLE endeavour and not a complex one. We are not figuring anything out. Instead of a focus on figuring, it is a focus on LISTENING – active listening, which includes obedience (follow through).

Adonai chose to SAVE us. He chose to REDEEM us. He chose to get us to the place that through reliance on HIM and HIM ALONE we can function as we were designed to – first now and later in full (with renewed bodies – 1 Corinthians 15:51-55). But the functionality of that life is the same. We operate IN Jesus and THROUGH Jesus and that is how we ‘do’ life. We don’t need to be so overwhelmed that we’re throwing up our hands and screaming to let off steam before picking up the burden and trying again. It doesn’t have to be like that AT ALL. “Come to me, all of you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke on you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to carry and my burden is light” (Matthew 11:28-30). There is true REST in Jesus. Rest means PEACE. No hair-pulling. No frustration. No small, soft, sad little breakdowns where no one can see or hear you cry. Jesus came to SAVE us from that. To REDEEM us from that. To bring us transformational RELEASE from that.

It is not something we work at. It is something we ACCEPT. It is exactly like healing. The same saving grace through the cross that released healing two thousand years ago also released release from the TOIL of life. Jesus broke that evil altar with His bruises, stripes, and wounds. He took the PENALTY so that WE could have FREEDOM in Him.We only need to ENGAGE what He released for us. To reach out and take what He placed in our spirit and had Ruach HaKodesh seal for us (Ephesians 1:13). This is who we serve. PROVIDER. He WILL provide and He DOES provide. We simply need to take a hold of what He HAS provided. We need to use it. We need to learn to live through it.

Ruach HaKodesh is THE Ruach of Truth (John 16:13). He can teach us ANYTHING we need to know and DOES teach us all we need to know to glorify the Father. We just have to LISTEN and then OBEY. It does no good to listen without doing anything. It does no good to learn the truth if we aren’t going to alter our behaviour. If we aren’t going to get in line with Adonai, adjusting ourselves until we are in agreement with Him, then there is little point to our listening. Because it won’t make a difference until we CHOOSE it. Until we exercise our free will and decide to do what He asks us to do. We need to humbly submit to Him. When we do, everything in Him opens up to us. We are in a place to APPLY what we are hearing from Ruach HaKodesh. This is how we leave dependence on US and grasp dependence on HIM. We look to Him and we let Him teach us the attitude of heart that breeds reliance on Him. But it starts with a choice, and it is a choice we are all ABLE to make. It is the choice that moves us away from DIFFICULT life to LIFE IN HIM.

Daily Affirmation of the Goodness of Elohim: Colossians 3:17

“and everything whatever you do in word or in deed, giving thanks for all things in the name of the Lord Jesus to God the Father through him.” Adonai takes care to talk to us about EVERYTHING so that in EVERYTHING there is always something we can do in gratitude to Him. This is vital because it is through our gratitude that our worship comes from. Imagine that. Worshipping Him throughout your day because you’re grateful to Him for EVERYTHING. A troubling situation arises, we can thank Him He has the solution. We find something we lost, we can thank Him for pointing it out. We remember what we came into the room for, we can thank Him that He whispered a reminder to us. Routes we drive, the way we go about our work, the people we interact with, the WAY we interact with people. He has the information we need to do all of that to greatest effect. He lives WITH US. He wants us to rely on HIM. He makes it all so simple. A choice to look His way, listen to His voice, and to obey what we hear. He is there ALL THE TIME, so why NOT check in? Why not seek His opinion. We KNOW it will be truth! We KNOW it will be the best for us and everyone else! We KNOW it will be a BLESSING! 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