Fear No Fear

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

“And when he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were weary and dejected, like sheep that did not have a shepherd.“

Matthew 9:36

Men are often critisized for wanting to help women. But if you look deeper, the complaint is not the desire to help, but the way that they sometimes walk it out. There are times that they seek to help because they see a need. Not because the other person is incapable, but because we all need help. We’re all a community. We give when needed and receive when needed. We can do it physically, emotionally, and relationally. Men like that aren’t trying to tell you what to do or to do it for the poor, weak, little woman. They’re helping because they can and ready to receive your help in turn. That’s the right way to offer help.

The problem is there’s another way. It’s a frustrated ‘oh just let me do it’ way. A way that assumes the other person – male or female – is wrong and incapable. A way that forces everyone else to fall into their thinking. Their way of doing. A way that isn’t HELP, but a DEMAND. That is the WRONG way. There’s nothing good about it. And sadly, there are too many human beings choosing that way to ‘assist’. Like a boy scout muscling an old person across a street they didn’t want to cross in the first place.

When Jesus first looked at us, what did He see? Lost people. Stumbling in the dark people. I’m sure from His point of view it wasn’t pretty. We look at ourselves and think we’re doing okay. Struggling, but surviving. Like someone feeling their way in the dark and not stubbing their toes TOO many times. But in reality we were blind people, who had never been told what was in the room or even its dimensions, in the dark, flailing around desperately. It wasn’t pretty. Anytime we act independently of Jesus it is STILL not pretty. When we examine that behaviour and really think about it, we KNOW it isn’t pretty. But that is NOT what Jesus sees.

When Jesus sees us, He sees us through the lens of compassion. He FEELS for us. He LOVES us. He wants to CARE for us. This is what He sees: little lambs and fuzzy sheep, doing their best but VERY rudderless. Lost. Unable to figure out what is best because it has not been shown to them. He wants to take us in hand. Get us out of the stony briars and into green pastures with cool and clear waters. He wants to PROTECT us and NURTURE us. He doesn’t care about the dirty bits, the wounds, or the negative behaviour because He KNOWS He can wash us clean of all of that. He KNOWS the help He can be, and He is desperate to do it.

Ruach HaKodesh helps us with this because He reveals to us Jesus’ motivation. He reveals to us the LOVE that Jesus has for us. He teaches us about the POWER that love has. Without that, we can easily misunderstand where Jesus is coming from. Not only because we can’t see it without help (2 Corinthians 4:18), but also because it is SO EASY to let human thinking creep into where human thinking has no business being. We can think of Adonai as someone just WAITING to smack us down. Catch us out. To snatch back the Blessing. But NONE of that is true (John 3:16-18). Jesus LOVED us, came because He SAW US, and had COMPASSION on us and for us. EVERYTHING that is possible for us from salvation to walking with Adonai is possible ONLY because of the LOVE of Jesus for us. The more we know that LOVE, the more of a relationship we can have with Jesus. Ruach HaKodesh is CONSTANTLY pointing us toward Jesus’ love because of that. We need to remember that and to take advantage of it. We have a guide into the love of Jesus. We have a leader who wants us to see EXACTLY how much Jesus loves us (Ephesians 3:14-19). Let Ruach HaKodesh start revealing it to you today.

Daily Affirmation of the Goodness of Elohim: Ephesians 3:8

“To me, the least of all the saints, was given this grace: to proclaim the good news of the fathomless riches of Christ to the Gentiles,”  Saul did some BAAAAADDD things. No kidding. False testimony. Beatings. Violence. Breaking up families. Jailing people. Even consenting to their murder (penalty of death under false charges). He was NOT a nice man. He had a vicious temper. Yet he was chosen by Adonai to spread the gospel message. In and through Jesus, we are NOT our pasts. We are not our mistakes. We are strong through JESUS. We are forgiven through JESUS. We are made into the righteousness of Adonai through JESUS. No matter what WE are seeing, Jesus has compassion on us and sees something COMPLETELY different. Adonai hasn’t had a qualified human being working for Him yet. He isn’t going to start now. In HIM we are fulfilled. In HIM we are strong. In HIM we are all that we can be and more. In HIM we are everything. 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