Fear No Fear

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

I will not leave you orphans. I will come to you.
John 14:18 (emphasis added)

There is meaning to words. They’re important and they help us understand both what something means, but also how to apply it to ourselves. An orphan is a child deprived by death of one or usually both parents. While this usually refers to the loss of parents while in childhood, when you have a strong connection with your parents it can feel like being orphaned even when the loss occurs later in life. It can also mean one deprived of some protection or advantage. Our God is a LOVING, MERCIFUL, and PRESENT God. One who is intimately concerned with our lives — which makes no natural sense (1 Corinthians 2:14).

Jesus promised us the same thing that Yahweh promised us: never to leave and never forsake (Hebrews 13:5-6; Deuteronomy 31:6-8). The world loves fear. It thrives on it. The Lord does NOT. He wants us to reject fear. He wants us to reject dismay. We cannot do that without confidence in Him. Confidence in who He is (Jeremiah 17:7). We cannot do that without confidence in His Word (Psalm 89:34; 119:140). We cannot do that without confidence in His promises (Hebrews 10:23). That confidence is fuelled by our faith. Our faith is strengthened by hearing the Word (Romans 10:17). The stronger we let the Lord renew our minds into our faith, the more confidence we’re enabled to have.

It’s important to have confidence in the Lord, His Word, and His promises, because so much of what we’re called to is done by HIM and not US. He is our strength: “but those who wait for Yahweh will renew their strength. They will mount up with wings like eagles. They will run, and not be weary. They will walk, and not faint” (Isaiah 40:31). “Yah is my strength and song. He has become my salvation. This is my God, and I will praise him; my father’s God, and I will exalt him” (Exodus 15:2). He is our light, and without light no one can see: “Yahweh is my light and my salvation. Whom shall I fear? Yahweh is the strength of my life. Of whom shall I be afraid?” (Psalm 27:1). “Again, therefore, Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. He who follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life”” (John 8:12). ““Arise, shine; for your light has come, and Yahweh’s glory has risen on you! For behold, darkness will cover the earth, and thick darkness the peoples; but Yahweh will arise on you, and his glory shall be seen on you. Nations will come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising” (Isaiah 60:1-3).

God takes His role seriously: “A father of the fatherless, and a defender of the widows, is God in his holy habitation. God sets the lonely in families. He brings out the prisoners with singing, but the rebellious dwell in a sun-scorched land” (Psalm 68:5-6). He is our father and we are His children. “Therefore “‘Come out from along them, and be separate,’ says the Lord. ‘Touch no unclean thing. I will receive you. I will be to you a Father. You will be to me sons and daughters,’ says the Lord Almighty”” (2 Corinthians 6:17-18). “So you are no longer a bondservant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ” (Galatians 4:7). We are beloved children of God and He will NOT leave us orphans.

We live in tumultuous times. And more tumult is coming. It doesn’t matter if you believe the prophetic words that are coming out of the prophets in the church or not. It doesn’t matter if you believe the End Times are upon us or not. Let’s not talk about times and seasons. Let’s just talk about endings. We know that at some point the end will come (Matthew 24:13-14). And we know that before the end there will be a lot of upheaval (Matthew 24:4-8). We do NOT know how long the upheaval will last before the end comes (Mark 13:32-36). We simply know one follows the other. I say this: look around. There is a LOT of upheaval. Socially, governmentally, spiritually, there is a LOT going on. It is easy to feel cut loose. It is easy to flounder as we try to navigate the tides and waves of the world situation (local, national, AND global). The promise of today’s verse is that we do not need to fear because the LORD hasn’t moved: He is beside us still. “If you sit down, you will not panic, and if you lie down, then your sleep shall be sweet. Do not be afraid of sudden panic, or the storm of wickedness that will come. Yahweh will be in your confidence and guard your foot from capture” (Proverbs 3:24-26, Lexham English Bible).

If the Lord Himself is with us, then the entire power of heaven is with us because that is where the Lord operates from. We have no reason to fear because Yahweh God Almighty is in such a relation of intimacy and trust with His children who seek His face that He will guard our feet from capture. In today’s litigious world that is a MASSIVE promise. That’s not even counting what the enemy is up to now. Don’t get the idea they’re powerful. Don’t buy into the media myth of muscular, powerful, and brimming with confidence and superiority spiritual powers of darkness. No, no, no, no. Instead, regardless of how they APPEAR, remember that they are scared and petulant toddlers throwing a fit because it is almost bedtime. In fact, since their favourite toy has been taken away they are screaming, crying, carrying on, and trying to destroy the playroom.

“Jesus came to them and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth” (Matthew 28:18). “The Father loves the Son, and has given all things into his hand” (John 3:35). “He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created in the heavens and on the earth, visible things and invisible things, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things have been created through him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things are held together. He is the head of the body, the assembly, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things he might have the preeminence. For all the fullness was pleased to dwell in him, and through him to reconcile all things to himself by him, whether things on the earth or things in the heavens, having made peace through the blood of his cross” (Colossians 1:15-20).

Does that sound like someone unable to keep your feet from being caught? Does that sound like someone who is unable to keep His promises? Does that sound like someone who is worried about the state of the world? Of the government? Of neighbourhoods? Of families? No. This is a guiding, correcting, judging God full of mercy and compassion and power, power, POWER. He wants us to seek His face. He wants us to start being humble. To have humility about our walk. We aren’t the best of the best. HE is the best of the best and He is in US so the best shines out. But it is by HIM, through HIM, in HIM, and for HIM that all is done. He has the authority. There might be tantrums going on, but they’ll end. The patient parent will watch the clock and when the time comes, it will be over. Period. In the meantime, we need to stand by our Father and do what He says, when He says, and how He says. We need to seek Him.

He isn’t in the business of smiting. He’s in the business of loving. He’s in the business of saving. He didn’t come to judge, but to make a way. That way is Jesus. The sacrificial lamb who was slaughtered in pain and misery so that we don’t have to go through that. All we need to do is recognise the wrongs, recognise the sin, recognise the rebellion, and turn our minds around. To choose to decide to believe Him and His Word. When we do that, the Lord is faithful and just and will renew our minds into His paths, His things, and His mind (Ephesians 4:22-24).

He is with you. He is empowering His children. He is arming them and hiding them. He is protecting them and calling them to be proactive about seeking Him. Seek Him. Don’t wait. Don’t put it off. Choose not to fear by leaning into Him. If you focus on the Word, focus on the Lord, and listen to the words of the Holy Spirit, you will soon find that you are where you need to be. That the peace of the Lord will rule the mind that rejects fear. That will dwell in the mind of the one who embraced love and mercy. Who forgave as they were forgiven. Blessed because they’re blessed. Gave because it’s a privilege and God gave first.

You are not an orphan. Spiritually, you have been adopted into the most loving, accepting, nurturing, and powerful family that has ever or will ever exist. Seek your Father. Seek Him. Don’t let up. Don’t stop. Don’t pause. Move ever forward. You are with Him, He is with you, and NOTHING can stop the authority and plans of LORD from coming to pass.

Daily Affirmation of God’s Love: Luke 23:46

This was not the confused crying out of a man who didn’t understand what was happening. This was not the angry, bitter scream of a man who has failed. This was not the complacent, gentle Jesus who has lost it all but is waiting in hope for a reward in the hereafter. This was not the words of one who wasn’t expecting the fulfilment of prophecy. The word translated as commit, reads more accurately as deposit. It is laying down, yes. Commit means that as well. It means to place especially for safekeeping or as a pledge, and commit CAN mean that. But deposit has in it an innate temporariness. This is the temporary submission of His spirit into the hands of God with the unequivocal intent of receiving it back. Giving into His custody, not permanently giving it up. Jesus had a clear intention to be resurrected (John 10:18). It is this same unequivocal intent that we are to have in the promises and prophecies of the Lord. The world’s grip is TEMPORARY. The Lord’s sovereignty is PERMANENT. Who are you going to believe about things? One who was determined to be resurrected to life so that you could be to? Or those who don’t have the authority or ability to bring their claims to be? When confronted with ANYTHING that contradicts the authority, promise, and dominion that the LORD has proclaimed, strike it down with the Word. Read it, listen to it, stand on it, abide with it, and never forget who you serve and what He says you can, will, and should do. If your confidence waivers, remind yourself that you put it on deposit with the Word and can take it up, more powerful than ever, direct from the Mercy Seat, dripping with the Anointing that carries the Power of Jesus’ Blood. He overcomes, you overcome. Period. It is the promised deposit of victory that He gave it. It’s in His open hand. Reach through the doorway and take it up.

Your Daily Confession of God’s love to YOU:

Today God loves that I _______.