Fear No Fear

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

“For by me your days shall increase, and years of life shall multiply for you..“

Proverbs 9:11

It is truly in Adonai that life is found (John 10:10). We gain actual time on this Earth by being obedient children of Adonai. For example, if we honour our mother and father we will gain life here on Earth (Exodus 20:12; Ephesians 6:2). Another way we gain it is by the presence of Ruach HaKodesh within us (Romans 8:11). We don’t just exist, either. In Adonai the FULLNESS of life can be found (Psalm 16:11; John 1:16). That’s not porches and ten bedrooms and Jacuzzis and trips to Paris. That’s TRUE life, TRUE riches, TRUE joy, and TRUE dependence on Adonai – which is the only way we are enabled to enjoy things and bless others with things (3 John 2). It is in HIM we move and in HIM we have our being (Acts 17:27-28). When we get near Him and stay humbly submitted to Him, we get BLESSED.

Birthdays are an important part of a lot of people’s lives. They are celebrated in MANY different ways in many different cultures. They are ALMOST universal. They are certainly among the most common of human experiences. A way to mark time at the minimum and a way to celebrate when a given person became part of the shared human experience. Some people love them, some dislike them, and some are indifferent to them. But most of us are AWARE of them. Adonai celebrates them too. He takes joy in remembering when you were conceived. When you came into being and when you came out of the womb. He ALSO celebrates your salvation day. All of heaven joins in on that one: “In the same way, I tell you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents” (Luke 15:10 – also Luke 15:7). We are NOTICED and we MATTER to Adonai.

We’ve looked at verses like Zechariah 3:17 where Adonai not only takes joy with us, but SINGS over us. We know He writes our names on the palm of His hand (Isaiah 49:16). And He keeps a book that records us for ALL to see (Revelation 13:8; 21:27). Adonai is MINDFUL of us. Ruach HaKodesh is one of the COMMUNICATORS of that mindfulness. He doesn’t want us to forget it. We can get so caught up in the majesty, power, and totally-above-us-ness of Adonai that we can wonder whether any of us matter to Him at all. There are even verses that talk of how far above our understanding He is (Isaiah 55:8-9). The interesting thing is that those verses are talking to the UNGODLY. The UNSAVED. Whenever Ruach HaKodesh switches over to talking about the SAVED and the RIGHTEOUS IN JESUS, the language changes to being communal. Together. On the same page. “But God, being rich in mercy, because of his great love with which he loved us, and we being dead in trespasses, he made us alive together with Christ (by grace you are saved), and raised us together and seated us together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus” (Ephesians 2:4-6). In JESUS, we are brought into the fold.

Ruach HaKodesh celebrates that. He celebrates us. One of His roles is Rememberer. He brings to mind what we have stopped paying attention to. He reminds us of what Jesus said about us. He reminds us of what He wrote down through the prophets, the teachers, and the early church. He doesn’t want us to forget how Adonai has placed a HUGE importance on each and every one of us. That Adonai wants EVERYONE to be saved. “This is good and acceptable before God our Savior, who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. For there is one God and one mediator between God and human beings, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself a ransom for all, the testimony at the proper time” (1 Timothy 2:3-6). “The Lord is not delaying the promise, as some consider slowness, but is being patient toward you, because he does not want any to perish, but all to come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9). “For in this way God loved the world, so that he gave his one and only Son, in order that everyone who believes in him will not perish, but will have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world in order that he should judge the world, but in order that the world should be saved through him. The one who believes in him is not judged, but the one who does not believe has already been judged, because he has not believed in the name of the one and only Son of God” (John 3:16-18). THAT is how important we are to Him. Easy to lose in the day-to-day. But hard to forget if we listen to Ruach HaKodesh.

It’s important to remember how important we are to Adonai, because it keeps us grateful. How can we NOT praise and worship someone who COULD ignore us but CHOOSES to be so close to us? So much a part of our lives? Who takes the insignificant and MAKES them significant? Adonai Almighty places value on YOU. He places value on you and He celebrates you and all of Heaven cheered as you accepted Jesus as Lord and Saviour. It was a MASSIVE party. That is your worth to Him. That is who you are. A treasure that He sold EVERYTHING to get possession of (Matthew 13:44-46). He truly LOVES and CHERISHES you. YOU. You are a gift. He LOVES you. And THAT is something for us ALL to celebrate!

Daily Affirmation of the Goodness of Elohim: John 19:30

“Then when he had received the sour wine, Jesus said, “It is completed,” and bowing his head, he gave up his spirit.” Jesus told several parables about hidden treasure and its worth. A treasure in a field, a pearl of great price, good fish gathered, good wheat stored, and a silver coin searched for until found are among them. All of them can be looked at more than one way. But remember that ALL of them include the TRUTH that Adonai SEARCHED for us, Adonai SOLD ALL HE HAD for us, Adonai VALUED us. There’s nothing He didn’t do for us. We deserved NONE of it. It is ALL because of His GRACE and MERCY. Because of His LOVE for us. Because HE decided we had value and then literally bent Heaven and Earth to make a Way for us to be together. 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