Fear No Fear

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

For when they are saying, “Peace and safety,” then sudden destruction will come on them, like birth pains on a pregnant woman. Then they will in no way escape.
1 Thessalonians 5:3 (emphasis added)

What kind of peace and safety is followed by sudden destruction? Ask anyone who has been hit by an unforeseen natural disaster. Ask anyone who got a pink slip halfway through their day. Ask anyone who got sideswiped by a drunk. The world is full of accidents. The world is full of unhappy and unfortunate circumstances which often show up unexpectedly. Yet at the same time, the world is full of talk about building security and getting to relax and kick back. About retirement when you can do nice things and enjoy yourself. They want you working for the brass ring, doing ANYTHING necessary to reach that goal. The truth that stuff happens without notice they sweep under the carpet. Yet for every success story, there are hundreds of people whose lives were touched by tragedy without warning.

Fear — if it was capable of the emotion — LOVES this. It enjoys uncertainty. It enjoys robbing people of their sense of security. It loves it when things go wrong and people die. Because the spirit of fear is the only spirit that the devil has. “The thief only comes to steal, kill, and destroy. I came that they may have life, and may have it abundantly” (John 10:10). There is nothing pleasant or lasting about these things. It is all about decay, deterioration, and destroying the dreams of humanity. The name of the game is the name of every petulant child or toxic person who has been denied: smash as much goodness as you can just so you can’t have good things.

We cannot trust the world or ANYTHING that it says is security. The world is NOT the source of ANYTHING for the believer. This is an absolute core value. If you look for ANY need to be met by the world, you are playing with embers of a recent fire. They only need a tiny dose of fuel and they spring up to full blazing fire again. You may work for someone, but that paycheque is NOT your source. You may go to the doctor, but their diagnosis and treatment are NOT your source. Those investments may be great and enriching, but they are NOT your source. The weather is NOT the source for great crops. NOTHING in this world is your source. Those that look to ANYTHING of this world as their source are doomed to failure. There is no long-term planning, no short-term emergency strategy, or anything else that will help. When the world goes kaput — locally, individually, or nationally — you will go kaput with them.

It was like that when Noah was building the ark. He worked on that for a hundred and twenty years. I am POSITIVE someone asked what he was doing. He didn’t hide it away. Peter refers to Noah as a preacher of righteousness (2 Peter 2:5). They were still surprised. “For as in those days which were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ship, and they didn’t know until the flood came and took them all away” (Matthew 24:38–39a). It will be like that when the Lord comes again for judgment and salvation. Then two men will be in the field: one will be taken and one will be left. Two women will be grinding at the mill: one will be taken and one will be left (Matthew 24:40–41). How do we know this sudden coming could be bad? Jesus told a parable about it.

“The Kingdom of Heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field, but while people slept, his enemy came and sowed darnel weeds† also among the wheat, and went away. But when the blade sprang up and produced grain, then the darnel weeds appeared also. The servants of the householder came and said to him, ‘Sir, didn’t you sow good seed in your field? Where did these darnel weeds come from?’ He said to them, ‘An enemy has done this.’ The servants asked him, ‘Do you want us to go and gather them up?’ But he said, ‘No, lest perhaps while you gather up the darnel weeds, you root up the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest, and in the harvest time I will tell the reapers, “First, gather up the darnel weeds, and bind them in bundles to burn them; but gather the wheat into my barn.”’” (Matthew 13:24b-30). Everything is going great in that field for the weeds and the wheat. Growing tall. Growing strong. Looking forward to fruitfulness. But suddenly it is harvest day and the weeds are collected for judgment. Bye-bye weeds. This isn’t isolated teaching. “If a man doesn’t remain in me, he is thrown out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them, throw them into the fire, and they are burned” (John 15:6). This is important stuff.

In the parable of the ten virgins, those who were unprepared for the coming of the bridegroom got left outside — even though they had been issued an invitation, knew the bridegroom, and had been waiting for him. They weren’t ready at the MOMENT that the bridegroom arrived. Readiness. Not sitting back on empty words, money, investments, property, emergency preparedness kids, or a 401K. These things are not bad (except the empty words) in and of themselves. But we are not to put our trust, our expectation, our hope, or our faith in them. That is idolatry and it NEVER ends well. Anything that supplants God’s rightful place as our provider is worshipping something else (Deuteronomy 6:4–5; Proverbs 3:6; Matthew 6:33). If it isn’t done, thought, or said in faith, then it is sin (Romans 14:23). We are called to account for EVERY idle word we have EVER spoken (Matthew 12:36–37). We are to ALWAYS put God first. “Whatever you do, in word or in deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him” (Colossians 3:17).

Where does this leave us? Fearful of everything? Desperate with no resources, nothing to trust? It can seem that way when disaster strikes. That’s when we start to beg God to do something. ANYTHING. It doesn’t work. We can beg all day long and get nothing but comfort from God. He feels our pain. He is empathetic. But the Lord God Almighty only HEARS faith. He watches over His WORD to perform it (Jeremiah 1:12). And He WILL perform His Word. His Word says that all our needs are met. His Word says we are healed. His Word says that we are blessed. His Word says we are prosperous, rising to the top in every situation. His Word says we will have trials and persecutions, but that He will be right beside us. His Word says that we can have what we say when we say in accordance to His will and His Word. His Word can be trusted. His Word is true. Yahweh IS truth. “Trust in Yahweh with all your heart, and don’t lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight” (Proverbs 3:5–6).

The world fears and is shaken when bad things happen. But the believer can stand tall and proud, proclaiming the Lord God as Saviour, Lord, and Provider. The economy can tank, we will still have things and work. The supply lines can be cut, we will feed our neighbourhoods. The stock market can crash and banks fail, we will still have fluid funds lacking nothing. We are the REDEEMED. We are the BLESSED. We are OVERCOMERS. Not because we are better than the world. Because we are IN JESUS and Jesus is IN US (2 Corinthians 5:21). In Jesus, through Jesus, by Jesus, and for Jesus, we are all things, have all things, do all things, and spread the blessing to everyone around us. We are SECURE. We are NOT full of empty promises.

“Everyone therefore who hears these words of mine and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on a rock. The rain came down, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it didn’t fall, for it was founded on the rock. Everyone who hears these words of mine and doesn’t do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. The rain came down, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell — and its fall was great” (Matthew 7:24–27). When we build on what the WORD says, we have something to trust. When we look to the Father as our SOURCE, we will have ALL our needs met. When we look to Jesus as our Saviour and Lord, we have true security. When we look to the Holy Spirit for instruction and correction as well as comfort, we won’t be surprised by what’s coming — ”However, when he, the Spirit of truth, has come, he will guide you into all truth, for he will not speak from himself; but whatever he hears, he will speak. He will declare to you things that are coming” (John 16:13).

Jesus IS our safety because He has us in His hand (John 10:28). The Father IS our peace because He has us in His hand (John 10:29). The Holy Spirit IS our security because He has sealed us for the Lord God Almighty (Ephesians 1:13). Yet, the ten virgins are not to be forgotten. Jesus is coming soon (Revelation 22:7). We need to stay vigilant and prepared. Jesus is coming soon (Revelation 22:20). We need to watch our words and cultivate our faith so that we can do all that the Lord has for us to do. Jesus is coming soon (Revelation 22:12). We need to remember to praise and be expectant and be joyful and be eager — Jesus is coming SOON!!!!! We will in NO WAY be lost, because WE are found (Luke 15:32).

Daily Affirmation of God’s Love: Isaiah 65:1

Ever felt lost? Alone in a crowd? That you don’t matter or that you have NO idea what to do? Full of responsibility and potential and issues and pressures and concerns and … well… all of it. But you don’t have an outlet. Someone to talk to. Someone to help. Someone to turn to and latch onto and say ‘PLEASE’. We have all been there at times. The lonely trips to the mall. The late nights worrying or pouring over our finances. The antacids and other helpy pills or alcohol or food or whatever because… well… we’re lost and need something to get by. To make it through another day. Some of us have looked down the barrel of a gun or stroked a braided rope or toyed with a razor blade or looked down from a height. Wondering if it wouldn’t be better to end it. Stop the black. Stop the problems. But there He was. Whether we knew it or not. Calling us. Reaching out to us. Listening to our plea. Placing Himself so that we can find Him, accept His faith, and get His Word and Blood active and working in our lives. He seeks us when we don’t look. He is there when we are crying and when we’re hiding. He is always loving and always seeking to get you back to where you belong. He loves us too much to let our pride, stubbornness, and ignorance be a stumbling block for us. The cross shines in our lives. It lives in our hearts. The empty tomb is how we look out into the world. Jesus is our ALL in ALL. Never accept anything less. Anything less is a lie.

Your Daily Confession of God’s love to YOU:

Today God loves that I _______.