Fear No Fear

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

“Jabez was more honorable than his brothers. His mother named him Jabez, saying, “Because I bore him with sorrow.” Jabez called on the God of Israel, saying, “Oh that you would bless me indeed, and enlarge my border! May your hand be with me, and may you keep me from evil, that I may not cause pain!” God granted him that which he requested.”
(1 Chronicles 4:9-10)

““Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and don’t do the things which I say? Everyone who comes to me, and hears my words and does them, I will show you who he is like. He is like a man building a house, who dug and went deep and laid a foundation on the rock. When a flood arose, the stream broke against that house, and could not shake it, because it was founded on the rock. But he who hears and doesn’t do, is like a man who built a house on the earth without a foundation, against which the stream broke, and immediately it fell; and the ruin of that house was great.””
(Luke 6:46-49)

According to the Complete Jewish Study Bible, Jabez (Ya’betz) means ‘pain’ and shares the same three Hebrew consonants that make up the word pain (‘otzev), but in a slightly different order. It was a play on words that his mother employed because of her experience during birth. Names meant a lot to the ancient world. You essentially came to embody what your name meant. It was like a calling card declaring your nature to the world around you. Jabez, however, did not want to embody a negative characteristic. He leaned into the Lord. He sought Him and prayed that he would not reflect pain (harm), but that instead he would be able to live a blessed life expanding the blessing that he had already been given by the Lord. That he would not be a cause of suffering to others. He sought a change of circumstance through God’s intervention. He dug deep into the Lord and was rewarded for it. God honoured his request.

Jesus taught a lot about trusting in the Lord. About leaning into the Lord and His point of view. Not on a surface level, but deeply. Truly choosing to learn about God’s point of view and His moral character. And then not leaving it there. Not stopping at intellectual knowledge, but letting that knowledge change what behaviour we participate in. Letting that knowledge move us to emulate God. To trust in Him and to make His moral character our own. Letting scripture retrain our minds to His Way of thinking. Those that do will survive what the world throws at them. They will make their way through temptations by trusting in God. They will not fall and get scattered. They will stand on the Rock that is the knowledge of who Jesus is (the Son of God and our Saviour) and survive all that comes their way (James 4:7). They will NOT be spiritual victims, but more than conquerors in Jesus (John 16:33).

Summary

We’re not fighting people (Ephesians 6:12). We are fighting spiritual forces and need a spiritual victory. Jesus provided one. Jesus is THE answer to everything that comes against us whether it is a temptation, a wrong thought, or an attack. It is only when we choose to trust in Jesus that we experience the same victories that Jesus did. He NEVER lost. We NEVER need to lose either. But we need to believe Him and we need to TRUST Him. We cannot do half-measures. We need the Word in our hearts. We need to believe it to the point that we trust it will deliver what He says it will deliver. We need to believe God can do what He says He can do. We need to call on Him from our hearts that are full of that belief and trust. And then we need to obey Him. Humbly submit to His point of view and His moral character and obey Him. To walk out what we believe because of who He is. To stand on His Word, and then stand some more. That is how we will succeed. That is how we will withstand the storms of this life. By resting in Jesus.