Fear No Fear

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

“And the angel answered and said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore also the one to be born will be called holy, the Son of God.”

Luke 1:35

Ruach HaKodesh overshadowed Mary in a spiritual way, creating within her life that she could not create on her own. It was totally unlike anything that has ever been. It wasn’t a physical coupling like those found in the world’s myths. This was inconceivable – and still denied today by human minds that see no other way than physical union to create a child. A spiritual force made something physical. This really shouldn’t be surprising or confounding because ALL THINGS are made from spiritual foundations. “By faith we understand the worlds were created by the word of God, in order that what is seen did not come into existence from what is visible” (Hebrews 11:3). This is why we look to the spiritual first. It’s more real than reality (2 Corinthians 4:18). This is also why we rely on Ruach HaKodesh and require Him active in us before we can proceed on those things Adonai has called us to (Acts 1:8; Luke 24:49). It is Ruach HaKodesh that conceives in us those things we need to birth in order to succeed.

“God is not a man, that he should lie, nor a son of humankind, that he should change his mind. Has he said, and will he not do it? And has he spoken, and will he not fulfill it?” (Numbers 23:19). Adonai knows what’s going to happen. He always has (Isaiah 46:10). He set things up so that we need to cooperate with Him (Genesis 1:26-28). If we don’t cooperate with Him, we miss out. He has chosen not to do things without our participation here on Earth. Everywhere you look in scripture, humanity has partnered with Adonai. Even looking into Revelation where trumpets are sounding, scrolls are opening, world-shaking events are occurring; there you also see dedicated men and women (Jews and Gentiles) cooperating with Adonai in all of it. Since He has the game plan, He knows the future, and He sees into the hearts of each and every human being, doesn’t it make sense to look to Him for instructions? For guidance? To check in to see if we have gone off the flight plan? “Trust Yahweh with all your heart; do not lean toward your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will straighten your paths” (Proverbs 3:5-6).

“For we are his creation, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, so that we may walk in them” (Ephesians 2:10). Adonai prepared our good works for us. He made them possible. He has anointed us to do them. He has empowered us. He has equipped us. But what are they? How do we know what it is that we are to do? Ruach HaKodesh. He conceives in us the works that Adonai wants us to do. He creates within us the dreams. The ideas. He helps turn our heads in the right direction so that we can clearly hear the call of the Father. He even helps to craft a new heart within us so that we are able to receive the calling as a seed which will grow into the harvest the Father has planned. “For this is the covenant that I will decree with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord: I am putting my laws in their minds and I will write them on their hearts, and I will be their God and they will be my people” (Hebrews 8:10).

The thing about conception is that it is the first step. That’s a child in that womb from the moment the spark pops (https://www.sciencealert.com/scientists-just-captured-the-actual-flash-of-light-that-sparks-when-sperm-meets-an-egg). But it doesn’t end there. It doesn’t stay the way it is. There is a gestation period where it is fed and it develops and it grows until the womb cannot contain it and it must birth or die. That STILL doesn’t end it. Then that child must CONTINUE to be fed and develop and grow until it becomes a self-sustaining unit sometime before the age of thirty-two – which is the end of the prime opportunity for structural growth of the brain (although the brain is always developing in one way or another). That’s anywhere from twenty to thirty years before society or your own self will consider you ‘adult’ or ‘grown’ or ‘ready’. Spiritually, there is ALSO a growth period. When Ruach HaKodesh conceives an idea or enables us to hear our calling and plant it is the beginning of the process. We can be thankful Ruach HaKodesh is part of us. Living in us. Because it means He doesn’t leave, but continues to guide, instruct, and develop us AND that which He conceived in us.

This is a cooperative process. We need to make sure we are feeding on the Word. Meditating on what He conceived. Preparing our hearts and our minds (our souls) for it. Praying that Adonai makes us usable. Listening to the teaching of Jesus, inspired preaching, and checking EVERYTHING in the Word. We need to develop the idea as we develop as people. Putting away the milk and getting onto solids (1 Corinthians 3:2). Maturing ourselves in Ruach HaKodesh and learning to rest in Jesus. “And he himself gave some as apostles and some as prophets and some as evangelists and some as pastors and teachers for the equipping of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all reach the unity of the faith and the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to a measure of the maturity of the fullness of Christ, so that we may no longer be infants, tossed about by waves and carried about by every wind of teaching, by the trickery of people, by craftiness with reference to the scheming of deceit. But speaking the truth in love, we are to grow into him with reference to all things, who is the head, Christ, from whom the whole body, joined together and held together by every supporting ligament, according to the working by measure of each single part, the growth of the body makes for the building up of itself in love” (Ephesians 4:11-16).

Don’t let the first step be the last step. Investigate. Prepare. Study. Lean into Ruach HaKodesh. Learn to rest in Jesus, looking to Adonai as Source for everything. It’s a process. Don’t be overwhelmed. Don’t ignore. When something is conceived in you, smile, pick up the Word, and feed yourself AND the conception one day at a time. If you’ll walk with Him, He’ll take you to the end of the road (Philippians 1:6).

Daily Affirmation of the Goodness of Elohim: 2 Peter 3:18

“But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory, both now and to the day of eternity. Amen” Everything needs to grow. Failure to grow leads to stunted bodies and inability to do all that it was meant to do. Doesn’t matter if it is a plant, an animal, a human being, a business, or an idea. Everything needs to grow and develop. As believers in Jesus, we’re not meant to stand still once we accept His salvation for us. Salvation itself is a very all-encompassing word. There is more than just a restoration of connection with Adonai. We have been given the grace to keep growing. The more we learn about the love of Jesus for us, the more we learn about what is possible for us as believers – in Heaven and also here on Earth. By grace we are saved through trusting Jesus and believing what He says. By grace we will develop and grow and come into fuller and fuller understanding of what that means. We’ll do it by growing our trust, stretching our belief, and walking hand in hand with Him. He doesn’t plant us and run away. He plants us, tends us, waters us, feeds us, guides our growth, and prunes any branches or offshoots that aren’t healthy. He is the ultimate gardener. The Good Shepherd. And our CONSTANT companion. 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