Fear No Fear

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

““Earth, don’t cover my blood.
    Let my cry have no place to rest.
Even now, behold, my witness is in heaven.
    He who vouches for me is on high.
My friends scoff at me.
    My eyes pour out tears to God,
that he would maintain the right of a man with God,
    of a son of man with his neighbor!
For when a few years have come,
    I will go the way of no return.”
(Job 16:18-22)

“But I am in pain and distress.
    Let your salvation, God, protect me.
I will praise the name of God with a song,
    and will magnify him with thanksgiving.
It will please Yahweh better than an ox,
    or a bull that has horns and hoofs.
The humble have seen it, and are glad.
    You who seek after God, let your heart live.
For Yahweh hears the needy,
    and doesn’t despise his captive people.
Let heaven and earth praise him;
    the seas, and everything that moves therein!
For God will save Zion, and build the cities of Judah.
    They shall settle there, and own it.
The children also of his servants shall inherit it.
    Those who love his name shall dwell therein.“
(Psalm 69:29-36)

Job wants a mediator. Job wants a go-between. Job wants someone who can act between him and God. Job doesn’t want his suffering forgotten. He wants to be vindicated. To be remembered. He wants a witness. What Job wants, is a Messiah. A high priest to pray for Him. A mediator to take his case before God. Someone to champion his cause and make sure that it isn’t ‘lost in the shuffle’. Someone to make sure he isn’t ignored and forgotten. Job’s response is to lament what he does not have.

Messiah came. Our high priest took up His position. And He didn’t do it in ignorance. He did it having experienced what we have experienced. He did it having been betrayed and turned on. By being mocked and railed at. By being rejected and scorned. By suffering. Messiah knows what it is to be human. He knows what it is to be betrayed. He knows what it is to be turned against. And He leads us in the proper response: reliance on the Father and worship of God. He leads us in rejoicing and thanksgiving. Not for the suffering, but for the joy and peace and security of resting in God even while suffering. He switches the focus from what we are experiencing to what we can experience in God. Messiah’s response is to praise the Lord for what the Lord provides.

Summary

God is MORE THAN ENOUGH. That means no matter what we face and what is going on, God has what we need. More than what we need. An overflowing amount of what we need. Every time. And He has it before we need it. His solution is in place before we know there’s a problem. If we will align with Him and run into Him for shelter and rest, we will ALWAYS be all right from His point of view. It might not work out the way WE want it to or how WE think it should have. Our victory might not even be apparent to our enemies. But if eyes are opened, they WILL see how God provides our triumph. How God provides us all that we need and all that we will EVER need. How JESUS overcame and so we too overcome because we are in Him and He is in us and we can NEVER EVER be brought low. He is MORE THAN ENOUGH for EVERYTHING that comes against or upon us. Our response to ANYTHING and EVERYTHING should be praising the Lord for what the Lord is providing for us in that circumstance. The circumstance might not be good, but the Lord is VERY GOOD.