Fear No Fear

(All scripture from the NET, netbible.org, all rights reserved)

He called a child, had him stand among them, and said, “I tell you the truth, unless you turn around and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven! Whoever then humbles himself like this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.
Matthew 18:2-4 (emphasis added)

Children are trusting. Children are bold, almost fearless. Children are adventurous, always up for going places. Children almost never stand still. Children can fall asleep anywhere when they feel safe. Children ask a lot of questions, but will believe the answers you give them at face value. Children are always learning. These are positive aspects of children. Children also make a lot of mistakes in their enthusiasm to do things. Most of the time though, neither they nor the adults around are concerned about it. Not because the mistake was a good thing, but because they will try again while doing their best to not make the same mistake twice. Children are resilient. I think we often forget that in Adonai’s eyes, we’re children. We get so puffed up and full of our accomplishments, but in HIS eyes, we’re children.

“Dear friends, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet been revealed. We know that whenever it is revealed we will be like him, because we will see him just as he is” (1 John 3:2). We ARE Elohim’s children. We are not only warriors. We are not only counsellors. We are not only encouragers, or pastors, or teachers, or husbands, or wives, or young men and women. We are children. We are meant to believe with trusting hearts like children. We are meant not to doubt our Father, like children. We are meant to trust that our Father knows what He is about and can do what He says He can do. We are meant to think that way and view Elohim that way SO MUCH, that the enemy has invested centuries of time eroding the relationships between parents and children just to damage that good view of parents.

It is easy for us to get bogged down in ‘doing’ our walk of discipleship. We focus our minds on the Word. We focus our minds on our believing and the wording of our prayers. We take time to strike down doubts. We spend effort pushing away those thoughts we have decided not to entertain. It is not even about our efforts in terms of our work making the things happen. It is only about our efforts to let Adonai do His work in our lives and not let our old thinking get in the way. But we still approach it as adults – perfectly normal since we usually ARE adults. The issue with looking at ourselves as adults in comparison to Adonai is that we think we should be awesome. By His stripes we WERE healed (Matthew 8:16-17; 1 Peter 2:24). We understand the words. We recognise the concept. We set about believing it. But we still got the sniffles. We’re standing. And standing. And standing. Is it improving? Do we still have the sniffles? We probably shouldn’t, right? Maybe pray more? Maybe praise more? Maybe believe harder? And so it goes. Adults trying to adult the thing facing us.

Adonai’s view of us is VERY different. HE sees us as children. He is looking at us taking our very first wobbly steps. He is laughing with delight as we thump on our rumps. He is picking us up, hugging us, and setting us on our feet again. He’s cheering for us. He’s encouraging us. He’s calling toward us. He is a parent watching the development of His child. We might get frustrated because we can’t seem to move two feet without falling down, but He is thrilled over those two feet. He is not even seeing the other ten. We’re getting pats on the back. We’re getting encouragement. And every time we go that little bit farther. And that little bit farther. And farther. And He’s there the whole time, meeting us where we are, course correcting us around obstacles, making sure we’re on the right track. But He is NOT judging us. He is NOT disappointed in us. He is NOT frustrated. He is our loving Father, doing loving Father things WITH us and for us.

We’re not being pushed around. He is not an abusive parent. He takes us by the hand and guides us, walking at our pace. “For all who are led by the Spirit of God are the sons of God” (Romans 8:14). The Father sent Jesus so that we would have an example of how to talk, walk, think, act, teach, preach, heal, and perform miracles according to His will. He did not want to leave us only the example of men (the Old Covenant figures), but an example of a TRUE Human Being (the ONLY True Human Being). Perfect in all ways. Sinless in the face of temptations. Obedient. Humble. Honest. Kind. Gentle. Capable of righteous anger, again without sinning. Someone in control of His flesh, not someone at the mercy of it. A GOOD example. “Therefore, be imitators of God as dearly loved children” (Ephesians 5:1). “You should have the same attitude toward one another that Christ Jesus had” (Philippians 2:5). He leads us by example. There are also times He shepherds us because He knows best.

“Do not withhold discipline from a child;even if you s trike him with the rod, he will not die. If you strike him with the rod, you will deliver him from death” (Proverbs 23:13-14). He doesn’t smack us upside the head or strike us with anger. He sent Ruach HaKodesh to correct us. To steer us. To provide us with light from the Word to help illuminate the paths we are supposed to be walking (John 16:7-11). If we will humble ourselves and go where He directs without fighting Him, things go smoothly. When we buck against His guidance, it isn’t pretty (Acts 26:14). What we can strive for is to not throw a fit when He tells us to do something. You may not think you throw them. Well, if the Father is seeming to ignore you, perhaps you’re throwing a fit and He is being a good parent ignoring your behaviour and waiting for you to calm down before addressing what He asked you to do again. Sometimes when we are in danger of hurting themselves or others during a tantrum, He takes us to a quiet, safe place to calm down – whether it is a private or public tantrum. Adonai knows how to parent. He does it very well. When He appears to be silent and ignoring you, go back to the last thing He told you to do and ask yourself: have I done it, or am I whining and dragging my heels in some way? Remember, Adonai is ALWAYS with us and NEVER forsakes us (Hebrews 13:5), but He does NOT indulge bad behaviour (Matthew 21:12-17; Mark 11:15-18,Luke 19:45-47,John 2:14-16).

It doesn’t always feel good to be treated like a child, but that is here in this world. When the Father does it, it is NEVER negative. He wants us to be innocent again. Not ignoring what is around us, but not learning everything we can about it. “Your obedience is known to all and thus I rejoice over you. But I want you to be wise in what is good and innocent in what is evil. The God of peace will quickly crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus be with you” (Romans 16:19-20). If we FOCUS our attention on Adonai and His Word, we are effectively focusing on the LIGHT while standing where there is darkness. The light will push back the darkness. We will be aware of the darkness, but it will be at the corners of our consciousness where it belongs. It will not be near us or in us. It will not be threatening to us because even a teensy tiny light drives it away. We will be full of the presence and works of Adonai for all to see. There will be no shadows in us because we will be filled with His light. We can be so full of Adonai that nothing bad can get inside. So full of light that we will not have darkness. So full of FREEDOM that we won’t remember our chains.

Embrace your identity as His children. It is not an act meant to embarrass or humiliate us. It is a loving act meant to help us grow into the FULNESS of our relationship with Him. “And yearn like newborn infants for pure, spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up to salvation, if you have experienced the Lord’s kindness” (1 Peter 2:2-3). Being a child is not a bad thing. Don’t be a child of this world, though. You have the opportunity to be a child of Yahweh. A child making first steps, saying first words, bringing JOY to our Heavenly Father as we ever move, ever walk, and ever try to get to where He is calling us with outstretched arms and wide smile.

Daily Affirmation Jesus IS Messiah: Isaiah 62:11

“Look, the Lord announces to the entire earth: “Say to Daughter Zion, ‘Look, your deliverer comes! Look, his reward is with him, and his reward goes before him!’”” Messiah would be the king who cometh to Jerusalem-entering it on a colt. The colt can be a symbol of humbleness and peace. It isn’t a war horse. It wasn’t the royal steed, all fancy and proud. It was simple. Yet at the same time, it WAS a royal symbol. King David announced the next king of Israel by setting him on David’s own colt. “King David said, “Summon Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah son of Jehoiada.” They came before the king, and he told them, “Take your master’s servants with you, put my son Solomon on my mule, and lead him down to Gihon” (1 kings 1:32-33). David’s offspring, Messiah, would ALSO be led on a mule. “They brought the donkey and the colt and placed their cloaks on them, and he sat on them” (Matthew 21:7). Jesus, ancestor of David, was led a donkey as a symbol of His inheriting David’s throne. Jesus, Suffering Servant, was led on a donkey, symbol of humbleness symbolising His coming to save us, not to rule militarily. Jesus came to Jerusalem on a colt. Jesus IS Messiah!

Your Daily Confession of Jesus/Yeshua’s Identity:

Yeshua is the Christ, the Son of the living God.

Matthew 16:16b