Fear No Fear

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

“After a while, the children of Ammon made war against Israel. When the children of Ammon made war against Israel, the elders of Gilead went to get Jephthah out of the land of Tob. They said to Jephthah, “Come and be our chief, that we may fight with the children of Ammon.” Jephthah said to the elders of Gilead, “Didn’t you hate me, and drive me out of my father’s house? Why have you come to me now when you are in distress?” The elders of Gilead said to Jephthah, “Therefore we have turned again to you now, that you may go with us and fight with the children of Ammon. You will be our head over all the inhabitants of Gilead.” Jephthah said to the elders of Gilead, “If you bring me home again to fight with the children of Ammon, and Yahweh delivers them before me, will I be your head?” The elders of Gilead said to Jephthah, “Yahweh will be witness between us. Surely we will do what you say.” Then Jephthah went with the elders of Gilead, and the people made him head and chief over them. Jephthah spoke all his words before Yahweh in Mizpah.”
(Judges 11:4-11)

“You drove out the nations with your hand,
    but you planted them.
You afflicted the peoples,
    but you spread them abroad.
For they didn’t get the land in possession by their own sword,
    neither did their own arm save them;
but your right hand, your arm, and the light of your face,
    because you were favorable to them.”
(Psalm 44:2-3)

When Jephthah started, he knew that he would have NOTHING if God didn’t hand it to him. He knew the history of the Israelite people. He knew that they did not gain victory by their own might, their own efforts, and their own prowess. Yes, they did things. But they only received the VICTORY because God handed it to them. He knew that they needed to lean into the Lord’s guidance and do whatever it was that the Lord said in order to triumph over their enemies. No matter how much they complained or wailed, it was ONLY when the Israelites were obeying the Lord and truly worshipping Him in their hearts that they got the blessing of His protection (Judges 10:16). This isn’t because He is petty or demanding. It is because when they worship idols and stop seeking Him in their hearts, they wander away from where His protection exists. They leave the shelter of His wings and expose themselves to the full force of the curse, the world, and its ruler.

It is God who moves on this world to bring about His purposes (Isaiah 46:9-11). We get to be involved with that. We get to cooperate with Him (Matthew 19:26). There is effort on our part. But the STRENGTH comes from God. The POWER comes from God. The SOLUTION comes from God. He provides for us everything we need to succeed and walk in the victory that Jesus wrought for us (John 16:33). It is not OUR efforts, but HIS might and power that brings about the purposes of God and victory for His beloved children (Zechariah 4:6).

Summary

Anything is possible. It can be bigger than us. MUCH bigger. Because it is by the Spirit of the Living God, Yahweh King of the Universe, that we accomplish ANYTHING. This is such a FREEING revelation because it means WE don’t have to make it happen. WE don’t have to figure it out. WE don’t have to push it through. We can rely on God. We can completely sacrifice ourselves and rely 100% on Him and His plans. We can be humbly obedient to the One who Makes The Way and walk where He guides us to walk, say what He tells us to say, and do what He shows us to do (Galatians 2:20). It is what Jesus did. When we let Jesus be our Lord, we also will obey. When we love Him, we obey Him. When we obey Him, He brings about all that He plans for us, through us, and around us. He is a GOOD God!