Fear No Fear

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

“Ahab said to Elijah, “Have you found me, my enemy?” He answered, “I have found you, because you have sold yourself to do that which is evil in Yahweh’s sight. Behold, I will bring evil on you, and will utterly sweep you away and will cut off from Ahab everyone who urinates against a wall, and him who is shut up and him who is left at large in Israel. I will make your house like the house of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, and like the house of Baasha the son of Ahijah, for the provocation with which you have provoked me to anger, and have made Israel to sin.” Yahweh also spoke of Jezebel, saying, “The dogs will eat Jezebel by the rampart of Jezreel. The dogs will eat he who dies of Ahab in the city; and the birds of the sky will eat he who dies in the field.” But there was no one like Ahab, who sold himself to do that which was evil in Yahweh’s sight, whom Jezebel his wife stirred up. He did very abominably in following idols, according to all that the Amorites did, whom Yahweh cast out before the children of Israel.”
(1 Kings 21:20-26)

“Blessed is the man whom you discipline, Yah,
    and teach out of your law,
that you may give him rest from the days of adversity,
    until the pit is dug for the wicked.
For Yahweh won’t reject his people,
    neither will he forsake his inheritance.
For judgment will return to righteousness.
    All the upright in heart shall follow it.
Who will rise up for me against the wicked?
    Who will stand up for me against the evildoers?
Unless Yahweh had been my help,
    my soul would have soon lived in silence.
When I said, “My foot is slipping!”
    Your loving kindness, Yahweh, held me up.
In the multitude of my thoughts within me,
    your comforts delight my soul.”
(Psalm 94:12-19)

“Jesus, seeing their faith, said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven you.” But there were some of the scribes sitting there and reasoning in their hearts, “Why does this man speak blasphemies like that? Who can forgive sins but God alone?” Immediately Jesus, perceiving in his spirit that they so reasoned within themselves, said to them, “Why do you reason these things in your hearts? Which is easier, to tell the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven;’ or to say, ‘Arise, and take up your bed, and walk’? But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—he said to the paralytic— “I tell you, arise, take up your mat, and go to your house.” He arose, and immediately took up the mat and went out in front of them all, so that they were all amazed and glorified God, saying, “We never saw anything like this!””
(Mark 2:5-12)

Ahab chose to follow the promptings of his wife, Jezebel, and fully engage in anything and everything that was against the morals, ideals, and commands of Yahweh God Almighty. It was a choice. He didn’t have to do it. But he did. Again and again and again. It was a pattern. At every crossroads, at every point of decision, God was there – both Himself and His prophets – to speak into Ahab’s life and offer corrective action. Ahab could have turned his life around and returned to proper worship of Yahweh, but he didn’t. It wasn’t for the lack of God presenting him with the option. For Ahab’s entire life, God presented him with the option to get right.

No one LIKES correction, but wise people exult in it. Correction keeps us from straying off-course. It keeps us from leaving the tall weeds of wrong decisions and entering into the dark forest of a hardened heart. God’s Word presents us with the opportunity to listen to Him. It is the backing, the explanation, and the path toward getting right with God. He calls to us, and the Word is there to demonstrate to us what His call is all about. It’s always current. There is a lesson in every word and grammatical mark. It helps to keep our feet from slipping. It helps us to get back to God and align ourselves with His moral character. It helps us make the choice to trust.

Trusting is hard, especially when there is no observable evidence or reason for it. But trusting is the essential currency of the Kingdom of God. A developed and strengthened trust in God comes from the Word (Romans 10:17). Trusting in God is how we approach Him and how we receive from Him (Hebrews 11:6). Trusting in Jesus is how our sins are forgiven. He responds to our belief in our trust that Jesus is capable of cleansing us. That His sacrifice was enough. That He loves us, cares for us, protects us, guides us, corrects us, and can do anything and everything that He says He can do. Jesus taught about salvation and the healing power of God. Those that believed He could be trusted received from Him. Nothing has changed. We can choose to trust in Jesus.

Summary

Alignment with God is a choice that needs to be backed up with actions and words. Renewing our thoughts so that we understand His moral character and what exactly He says is good and right is the way we make that choice (Romans 12:2). It is a choice that we need to make on a daily basis. We have to choose Him again and again. Choose to decide that He is right and then follow His example (1 Peter 2:9). This is what being a disciple of Jesus is. Choosing to align with God’s point of view and accepting His correction whenever it is necessary in order to accomplish that.