Fear No Fear

(All scripture from the World English Bible, ebible.org, all rights reserved)

But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning over Judea in the place of his father, Herod, he was afraid to go there. Being warned in a dream, he withdrew into the region of Galilee, and came and lived in a city called Nazareth; that it might be fulfilled which was spoken through the prophets that he will be called a Nazarene.
Matthew 2:22-23 (emphasis added)

Our fear – when we give into it – doesn’t change His ability to provide for us OR to fulfil the word He put out about something. In fact, fearfulness is NEVER the plan, but the Lord can take our weaknesses and turn them into victories (Luke 8:28) – even when it isn’t His BEST. Because His ways are higher than ours, beyond our understanding, and He called everything to be before anything was even made — kind of like the mother of all flow charts that is living, malleable, always His plan, and steeped in free will. If that doesn’t melt some brain cells, I don’t know what will.

Maimonides in his ‘The Laws of Repentance’ talked about this: ‘There is no higher power that compels, persuades or decrees which path one must choose. He is on his own accord, he freely chooses the road he wants to follow. Jerimiyah the prophet explained, “It is not at the word of the Most High, that evil and good come forth.” (Lamentations 3:38). Meaning that the Creator does not decree that man be evil or righteous; the sinner’s punishment is caused by himself. Therefore, a sinner should cry, grieving for his sins and for the harm he has done to his soul. Jerimiyeh the prophet hints to this in the following verse, “What shall a living man bemoan? Each one his own sins!” (Lamentations 3:39). Jerimiyeh explains: Since we have free choice, it was our decision to commit these wrongs. Therefore we should repent, abstaining from wickedness, since this also is in our control. He continues, “Let us search and examine our ways, and turn back to God.” (Lamentations 3:40)’.

We can choose to be fearful or choose to be faithful. We can choose to do good or we can choose to do evil. We can choose to believe the Word or we can choose to split hairs and interpret how we feel. Life and good or death and evil (Deuteronomy 30:15). We are not forced, we are pleaded with. We are not forced, we are asked. We are not forced, we are guided. God knows everything that is going to happen. “Whatever Yahweh pleased, that he has done, in heaven and in earth, in the seas and in all deeps” (Psalm 135:6). Everything happens by His will, but His will was to give us free choice. We can do what we wish. Our actions earn their rewards, though. We have the ability to do whatever we want, when we want, and how we want, but we will answer for them – good and bad – in the future (Luke 8:17). We are blessed to have a merciful God.

Once Herod was dead, Joseph had a dream in which an angel told him to return to Israel with his family (Matthew 2:19-20). He was obedient immediately. When he woke, they left Egypt. But when he came closer – or maybe once he was in the borders – he learned that Herod’s son Archelaus was ruling in Judea in place of his father. History tells us that Archelaus was pure Herodian – without the abilities of a statesman. So he was cruel, tyrannical, sensual in the extreme, a hypocrite, and a plotter. He married his sister-in-law, he deposed three high priests for financial gain, he restored the royal palace in Jericho, was unable to cope with a series of riots and the Roman governor of Syria had to take a hand, though Archelaus made a pact with the brothers of one of the leaders of the riots – not popular. He ruled so badly that Jews and Samaritans united to appeal to Rome to have him deposed. Ultimately, he was exiled but at the time of the dream things were in full swing.

Naturally, Joseph didn’t want to stay in Judea. To go back to Bethlehem and the house they had left behind (Matthew 2:11). He was afraid of what would happen. Herod had wanted Jesus dead (Matthew 2:13-18). Would the son, who was just like his father, be any different? Joseph was afraid. And He let that fear start to take hold of him. He didn’t seek the Lord. He didn’t retreat, but he didn’t go forward either. He was confused, scared, and unsure. But the Lord God is merciful and sent another angel to tell Joseph to go back up into Galilee where they originally hailed from (Matthew 1:18-25, Luke 1:26-28). Joseph immediately obeyed and thus fulfilled another prophecy (Matthew 2:23).
Joseph could have chosen to return to Egypt (bad choice) or seek God for clarification (good choice) and instead chose to waffle (bad choice). God answered him anyway. God didn’t let indecision on Joseph’s part stop the plan. God would have found a way past, through, or over ANY bad decision, just as He does through good. But God’s BEST is always our immediate obedience. If He says walk, go until you hit an intersection. Stop to ask Him for directions, then continue walking. Don’t wait. Don’t waffle. No flapping of hands. Obedience, clarification, and then more obedience. We don’t need to understand, we only need to obey.

If God isn’t going to force us (free will) and we are capable of making bad choices, then what is it that keeps us going the RIGHT way? Discipline. Continually choosing or deciding to do good (obey the commands of the Lord), committing ourselves to doing it as shown by following through with our decision, and then repeating it at every opportunity to obey that we come across. “If you love me, keep my commandments. I will pray to the Father, and he will give you another Counselor, that he may be with you forever: the Spirit of truth, whom the world can’t receive, for it doesn’t see him and doesn’t know him. You know him, for he lives with you and will be in you. I will not leave you orphans. I will come to you. Yet a little while, and the world will see me no more; but you will see me. Because I live, you will live also. In that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you. One who has my commandments and keeps them, that person is one who loves me. One who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him, and will reveal myself to him” (John 14:15-21).

Discipline means exercising our right to choose good. It means reading the Word and studying what we find there – with a mind to submit to it, whether we FEEL like it or not. It means work (not works) and it means consistency. “If you instruct the brothers of these things, you will be a good servant of Christ Jesus, nourished in the words of the faith and of the good doctrine which you have followed. But refuse profane and old wives’ fables. Exercise yourself toward godliness. For bodily exercise has some value, but godliness has value in all things, having the promise of the life which is now and of that which is to come. This saying is faithful and worthy of all acceptance. For to this end we both labor and suffer reproach, because we have set our trust in the living God, who is the Savior of all men, especially of those who believe. Command and teach these things” (1 Timothy 4:6-11). “Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the Lord’s work, because you know that your labor is not in vain in the Lord” (1 Corinthians 15:58).

Pausing for clarification is a-okay as long as it doesn’t interfere with our obedience. We aren’t to use it as an excuse to stop moving for the Lord. Every choice, every act, every word, they all need to be submitted to Jesus and the will of the Father (and those two are ALWAYS in agreement). The Spirit is here to help us. Prompt us. Guide us. Not to leave us hanging. Don’t scorn angelic encounters, but don’t look for them because the Holy Spirit Himself dwells in us and communicates to us all that we need to hear. Don’t let fear stop you. Move past it, keeping your eyes on the path He is illuminating (Psalm 119:105).

Daily Affirmation of God’s Love: Psalm 27:8

We have free choice. It is embedded into our DNA. If it wasn’t truth, what use would the Word be? How could God ask us to do something, or warn us not to do another? How could He be just and a rewarder of the righteous? He couldn’t because there would be no decision of ours involved. Puppets don’t need exhortation. Encouragement. Or warning. We can CHOOSE. And because we can choose, He loves us enough to clearly ask us to seek Him. To decide to live for Him. To decide to follow Him. To decide to be a believer. To decide to get ahold of His promises and not let go until they come to pass. To use the tools He makes available to us. To listen to correction. To repent of what He says is wrong. To let the Word renew our thinking until WE say it is wrong too. To give over to the Spirit the management decisions that we then decide to abide by. It isn’t always easy, but if we keep our eyes on the Word and what the Father tells us, it IS simple. And if it’s simple, we can decide to seek Him. After all, the one who loves us asked us to. Who can say no to that?

Your Daily Confession of God’s love to YOU:

Today God loves that I _______.