Fear No Fear

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

Yet now be strong, Zerubbabel,’ says Yahweh. ‘Be strong, Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest. Be strong, all you people of the land,’ says Yahweh, ‘and work, for I am with you,’ says Yahweh of Armies. This is the word that I covenanted with you when you came out of Egypt, and my Spirit lived among you. ‘Don’t be afraid.’
Haggai 2:4-5 (emphasis added)

Be strong. The Hebrew phrase comes from a root word that means to figuratively, courageously, and causatively strengthen, cure, help, repair, fortify, bind, and conquer. It’s usage is to amend, catch, cleave, be constant, maintain, become mighty, retain, seize, be sure, be urgent, and withstand. That is stronger than a simple feeling. Or a decision to go through with something in spite of feeling scared. This is an active thing. An action. A decision to do and continue doing and hang onto that doing in spite of wanting to stop, being told by others to stop, or in the face of ANYTHING that comes against you.

This kind of taking is not reserved for the sacred few. This is not for the elite. This is for ALL the people of the land. In context, the Land of Promise, Israel, the country of God’s chosen people. But through Jesus, by trusting in Him, we too (Gentiles) have become children of the promise (Romans 9:8; Galatians 3:29). Because we get to rest in Jesus, we are placed in high places with and in Him (Ephesians 2:6). Since Jesus is THE child of the promise, we are grafted into that promise with Him. “However, the son by the servant was born according to the flesh, but the son by the free woman was born through promise.These things contain an allegory, for these are two covenants. One is from Mount Sinai, bearing children to bondage, which is Hagar. For this Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia, and answers to the Jerusalem that exists now, for she is in bondage with her children. But the Jerusalem that is above is free, which is the mother of us all. For it is written, “Rejoice, you barren who don’t bear. Break out and shout, you who don’t travail. For the desolate women have more children than her who has a husband.” Now we, brothers, as Isaac was, are children of promise” (Galatians 4:23-28).

It is only through Jesus that we have access to this taking of strength (Nehemiah 8:10). But it is available to ALL believers (Jew and Gentile). We must choose to do it. And then we must choose to PRACTISE it. It doesn’t do any good to decide to rely on Jesus, and then do things on our own. In our own strength. Following our own ideas. It’s like being part of a group project, but refusing to let anyone else from the group be involved. We need to take the TIME and spend the EFFORT that it takes to check in with Jesus. We are blessed, however, in that we are indwelt by Holy Spirit. “But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if it is so that the Spirit of God dwells in you. But if any man doesn’t have the Spirit of Christ, he is not his” (Romans 8:9). He is RIGHT THERE so we can communicate not only in an instant, but also at a whisper if we chose. We’re not crying up to heaven through locked gates. We’re connected through Jesus and talking directly as if He was face to face with us right where we are. We KNOW that He hears us every single time – no matter what it FEELS like.

This reliance on the Father and checking in with Holy Spirit is how Jesus lived His life here on Earth. “Jesus therefore answered them, “Most certainly, I tell you, the Son can do nothing of himself, but what he sees the Father doing. For whatever things he does, these the Son also does likewise” (John 5:19). “For I spoke not from myself, but the Father who sent me gave me a commandment, what I should say and what I should speak” (John 12:49). This is how Jesus operated. One HUNDRED percent guided by the Father and coached by Holy Spirit. This is why Jesus got so much flak from those who lived with ungodly principles in their hearts. The ungodly reject the Light (John 3:20). What we need to do is to follow Jesus’ example, no matter what, and do as Jesus did (John 3:21). “For you were called to this, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving you an example, that you should follow his steps,” (1 Peter 2:21).
When are we to start relying on Him? Not when the going gets tough, but now. Right now. BEFORE the going gets tuff. It does no good to start a preventative measure after you get sick. Once you’re sick you need to treat the underlying cause of sickness, not prevent it from falling on you. Spiritually, it is the same thing. We don’t wait until there is trouble before we start relying on God. We start NOW, and are prepared for anything we encounter. We don’t know what is coming or when we’ll bump into it. God DOES (Isaiah 46:10). It makes SENSE to rely on Him. the sooner the better.

In today’s verse it says we should be strong ‘yet now’. The origin word in Hebrew means at this time, straightaway, this time, whereas, and henceforth. We’re to start IMMEDIATELY and CONTINUE to be strong. The ‘yet now’ is an expletive, a exclamation or oath expressing an emotional reaction. This is command language. This is DO NOT DELAY language. Preparation time is NEVER wasted time. But time NOT spent preparing is foolishness (Proverbs 12:15; 18:2 ). When we find things like this in the Word, we should immediately apply them. To lean into the revelation of proper behaviour and not let go until we find it is a habit of our own. We can grab it, and should grab it, because Jesus ALREADY made the Way for us.

This is all possible not from human thinking, but because of God. We’re told to IMMEDIATELY decide to rely on Him for our strength because the same Spirit that took the Israelites out of Egypt remains with us. It is AMONG US. It is TABERNACLING with us (John 1:14). THAT is what enables us to do this. THAT is why God can command us to act this way. Emote this way. THAT is why we have the decision and it CAN BE a decision. We aren’t WAITING for anything. We’ve ALREADY got all that we need to do exactly as He is saying. All we have to do is choose, and then act like it’s true.

People don’t like it when things appear to be a choice of receiving or not receiving. When they don’t need to ‘do’ anything or ‘work’ for anything, they think it has no value. But it isn’t like work wasn’t put into it. Effort WAS put into it. A LOT of effort. Literal blood, sweat, and tears on the cross and throughout Jesus’ entire ordeal. It wasn’t pleasant. It wasn’t fun. But Jesus volunteered and chose to endure it so that WE could be free. The joy of that freedom for US is what Jesus clung to when He went through what He did. “looking to Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising its shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God” (Hebrews 12:2). This is what Grace is. Jesus CHOOSING to endure for us so that we could CHOOSE to live in Him (Galatians 2:20). Jesus accomplished this over two thousand years ago (John 19:30). It is done, finished, accomplished, and provided. We only need to choose to receive and believe – trusting in Him to provide what He said He would provide (Hebrews 11:6).

There is a lot of upheaval coming. World systems will be changing. There will be interruptions of service. Alterations to how everything is made and everything is done – from the large to the small. That is going to shake up the globe and everyone on it. But we don’t need to worry. Or be anxious. Or be depressed. Or be upset. It doesn’t matter WHAT comes our way. What matters is in whom we have our hope. In whom we have our expectation. It matters who’s giving us our strength. It matters if we decide we want to believe Him. It matters if we decide to trust Him. It matters if we CHOOSE to be strong in Jesus and NOT FEAR. It is a decision. It is a mental shift. It is an active process of nailing to the cross every doubt, every useless question, and every negative thought that tries to take our eyes OFF Jesus – as opposed to giving us new ways to investigate His faithfulness to us (1 Peter 5:7).

Seek Jesus above all. Talk to Holy Spirit when ANYTHING comes to mind or appears on the horizon. Lean into the Word – reading it, listening to it & preaching based on it, and thinking about what you encounter. Humbly submit to Jesus and let Him take charge (Matthew 11:28-30). This is how we do not fear. By REPLACING those feelings and thoughts with Jesus’ thoughts and promises. Not leaving things up to feelings or chance. But building a strong foundation through the Word and trusting in Jesus. He’s good for what He says He’s good for. Starting NOW enables us to weather ANY and EVERY storm that’s over the horizon. No matter how bad, we WILL stand when we stand on JESUS (James 4:7). Amen.

Daily Affirmation of God’s Love: Matthew 18:21-22

Peter wanted to know how many times he was obligated to forgive someone. After all forgiveness isn’t free. It costs. It is a gift to the offender (though they don’t always care). It is the cancelling of a debt. Well, if someone is needing forgiveness multiple times, then they probably weren’t honesty repenting the first time. You don’t repent for punching someone and kick them the next time you get angry. So if someone is moving against you again and again, how many times should you forgive before deciding they aren’t worth it and moving on? Jesus said seventy-seven times. Again and again. Always ready to forgive when they honestly repent – even if they renege on it and cause offence again. Why should we? Because our Father in Heaven is ready to do the same for us. Because we are called to be like Jesus who ALWAYS forgives when we honestly repent (1 John 1:9). Not when we are sorry. Not when we are forced by parents or pastors. When we see that it was wrong, when we choose God’s view on it, when we align with the values and commands of the Word, when we turn around and seek the OPPOSITE if the situation arises again. When we REPENT from our heart. We get forgiven. That’s why Jesus died. To forgive us and to enable us to use HIS forgiveness to forgive others. No matter what we do, we can be forgiven. That is NOT a license to do what we want, because when we repent we do the OPPOSITE and instead of disobeying God, we seek to obey. We cultivate a personal culture in line with God’s moral character. When we love as He loves, we know we’ll be willing to forgive as He forgives. That’s the lesson of forgiveness. Don’t seek justice. Act in love. Love that builds up. Love that forgives. Love that seeks to help others change. Love that seeks to align with God’s character. Love that can walk us through the consequences of our actions. Love that helps us grow and develop. God loves us so much, He made forgiveness available to us. That’s a GOOD God.

Your Daily Confession of God’s love to YOU:

Today God loves that I _______.