Fear No Fear

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

“But Naaman was angry, and went away and said, “Behold, I thought, ‘He will surely come out to me, and stand, and call on the name of Yahweh his God, and wave his hand over the place, and heal the leper.’ Aren’t Abanah and Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? Couldn’t I wash in them and be clean?” So he turned and went away in a rage. His servants came near and spoke to him, and said, “My father, if the prophet had asked you do some great thing, wouldn’t you have done it? How much rather then, when he says to you, ‘Wash, and be clean’?” Then went he down and dipped himself seven times in the Jordan, according to the saying of the man of God; and his flesh was restored like the flesh of a little child, and he was clean.”
(2 Kings 5:11-14)

“But he answered them, “You give them something to eat.” They asked him, “Shall we go and buy two hundred denarii worth of bread and give them something to eat?” He said to them, “How many loaves do you have? Go see.” When they knew, they said, “Five, and two fish.” He commanded them that everyone should sit down in groups on the green grass. They sat down in ranks, by hundreds and by fifties. He took the five loaves and the two fish; and looking up to heaven, he blessed and broke the loaves, and he gave to his disciples to set before them, and he divided the two fish among them all. They all ate and were filled. They took up twelve baskets full of broken pieces and also of the fish. Those who ate the loaves were five thousand men.”
(Mark 6:37-44)

Pomp and circumstance. That’s what we like. A show. A production. Naaman was no different. He expected personal treatment, but the prophet Elisha didn’t even come see him face to face. He expected a show with hand wavings and chants and some mystery, but he was told to wash seven times in a muddy river. Naaman got offended at the simplicity and ordinariness of the instructions he was given. His servants pointed out that if he was willing to do fancy, complicated things, then doing something simple should be done. He saw their point and he did do the simple things. It was when he was willing to overlook the spectacular that he was willing to accept the basic. That was where his healing was: at the end of his expectations of what would HAPPEN.

The disciples had been sent out to teach and heal. They taught and God worked through them. People were healed. Evil spirits were cast out. They saw it. They experienced cooperation with God. They were THRILLED. But when they got back to Jesus – full of reports and eagerness and the spectacular sensation of being used by God – they were confronted with an impossibility. Not a spectacular one like a possessed person or a debilitating disease. But bread. Food. The people needed food. All the healings they had been involved with were impossible for them to do on their own. All the spiritual deliverances were impossible for them to do on their own. But when asked to feed MANY people with VERY LITTLE they balked. They said it was impossible. They could not see the spectacular in the ordinary. They could not see how a physical impossibility could be done in the same way as spiritual impossibilities. Yet that is where the miracle was: at the end of their expectations of what could HAPPEN.

Summary

The impossible isn’t possible because of anything WE say or think or believe or trust in or do. The impossible is possible because YAHWEH GOD ALMIGHTY says that it is. When we trust Him, when we believe Him, when we say what He says to say and do what He says to do, all we are really doing is AGREEING with what HE said. His words have power. When we say what He said, believing He can do it, and trusting that He will, our words flow into His words and carry His power. It can ONLY be done in Jesus. It can ONLY be done according to His will. It can ONLY be done to give Him glory. But it IS POSSIBLE. He said so. Leave your expectations at the door. Don’t expect a spectacular, mountain-top encounter of lightning flashes and booming echoes. Don’t disdain a simple, things stretching enough to satisfy the need quietness. Don’t put expectation on the HAPPENING. Put your eager expectation on GOD. On HIS words. On HIS abilities. On HIS power, mercy, might, and grace. Put your eager expectation in HIM and Him ALONE. When we do, He can do whatever He wants whenever He wants. Read through the Word and you see that He does His miracles differently all the time. It isn’t METHOD that achieves the impossible. It isn’t how it HAPPENS. It’s GOD. Trust in Him. Expect from Him. Let Him move how He wills it. Method doesn’t matter. Trust in God does.