Choose Strength

Fear No Fear is a series of devotions and meditations on scripture that rejects fear in all forms. Fear is a spiritual force used by Satan to keep people down. The series promotes faith in God and His unvarnished truth. It emphasizes that there is more to life than what we see or feel, as we are spiritual beings housed in physical bodies. It encourages aligning our thoughts and words with the Word of God to receive His strength, peace, and blessings. The focus is on living for God, doing His will, and being a blessing to others. The series reminds us of God's great love for us and the power of His perfect love to cast out fear. Welcome to Fear No Fear. Grace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. May the Holy Spirit embrace you today. This is a series of devotions and meditations on scripture. We reject fear in any and all forms. Fear is a spiritual force, the currency of darkness and ignorance. It's what we inherited when Adam gave up his faith and Satan uses it to keep people down. His only weapon is words. If he can get you believing or looking at words of fear, he's got you. Instead, we champion faith as an allegiance to God, as a belief and trust and loyalty to the Lord God Almighty. We accept the evidence of His word as unvarnished truth, as is, just as it's written. We get close to His perfect love through the word, and perfect love casts out fear. 1 John 4.18 All scripture is taken from the World English Bible, which is in the public domain. Visit eBible.org Zephaniah 3.16 In that day it will be said to Jerusalem, Don't be afraid, Zion, don't let your hands be weak. We have a tendency as people to look at what is there before us and say, well, that's it. The institutions of this world will tell us that things tend to be a certain way. Science will investigate the human mind and human behavior and say we must do this or do that, think this or act that way, all because of how we developed or where we sit on some chart. And I'm not saying anything of that is false. It's there. They do believe it. Their work has proven their points. But I'm saying that isn't all there is. There are other factors within the scope of life that supersede all of that. I'm not even including God in that. And He isn't to be left out of anything in the human experience. And I do mean anything. What I'm talking about here is there is more to this life than what we see or feel or touch. We're spiritual beings, not physical beings. We're housed in a physical shell, but that isn't the end of who we are. It's like riding in a car. You operate on the road as a sports car, minivan, SUV, motorcycle, truck. But in reality, you were a person running a vehicle. But that's not what we say, oh, that car cut us off. You know? You're a spirit running a physical body. The world rejects that and looks only at the physical body. The Lord challenges us to see reality as it is, not as it is experienced. When you do that, a lot of things change. Now I want to be very clear here. I'm not talking about the power of positive thinking. That's a worldly philosophy that's a pale imitation of the truth. Does it often work? Yes. It's based on a law of God, and the laws that the Lord set up always work. That's why they're laws. Remember that the enemy is unable to create anything. Zip. All he's got is copying. He copies the laws that exist, the principles that exist, the things of the Lord that work. He copies them and sets up his own version that benefit him. But it still functions. And the world takes it. We've taken it at times, haven't we? It's seductive because it works. Same thing as a lie. The best lies have an element of truth. The best philosophies have an element of truth. Go into the world and randomly talk to people. Talk to them about Jesus, they shut down. Talk to them about spirituality, they think is interesting. Talk to them about prophecy, they walk away. Talk to them about astrology, they're open to possibilities. If there is anything spiritual out there, anything supernatural at all, I guarantee you there's a principle at work. And that principle will have its roots in the kingdom of heaven and the laws of God that he has set up for the spiritual world. Natural world versus spiritual world. They're totally different thinking. I recently heard someone explaining that we don't really understand what happened in the garden around the fall. That someone who has never heard a lie doesn't know what a lie is. That psychology will prove to you the truth that we only know what a lie is when we are exposed to it. So Adam and Eve were unprepared with what was coming against them. And if we understand that, if we understand that these were the very first people and we're just beginning to emerge into thinking and how that works, it changes everything. That's a fine theory and it really would change everything, wouldn't it? Except it's totally false. We're taking natural truths about fallen people and we're applying them to unfallen people. Adam and Eve were fully spiritual as well as fully physical. Clothed in the glory of God and infilled with his spirit. They knew in their spirit that what was being said to them was wrong. But they ignored the spiritual. They focused on the physical. They chose to operate in the natural. And then they chose to rebel in the flesh against the spirit, the opposite to what they should have done. I'm talking about operating in the natural through the spirit as designed by the Lord God of Heaven. Well, how do you know the difference? Everything of the kingdom is 100% word-based. It works because as a believer, you've been made a new creation, 2 Corinthians 5.17. Jesus died for us so that our sins, so that sin was paid for. By paying for sin, if we accept his sacrifice and that he rose again to life, he enabled us to be born again to live to righteousness so we could be morally right and justifiable to the Father in Jesus. He healed our spirit, giving us his own, Titus 3, 4-6. Because of that, we can renew our minds, Colossians 3, 9-10 and Romans 12-2. We can renew our spirits, Ephesians 4, 22-24. And in fact, our whole inner person, 2 Corinthians 4.16. We can see that we are not thinking positively, but we're using the authority Jesus gave us to align our bodies with our new spirit, to use that spirit to inform our soul-mind emotions, to use our soul to control our flesh. This is kingdom thinking. It is a process. Salvation is instantaneous. Sanctification is a process. It is the process of turning our minds from carnal thinking to kingdom thinking. Kingdom thinking is wielding the authority we have in Jesus, who is the Christ, the Anointed One, by the will of the Spirit, in line with the Word. Basically, if we're praying according to the Spirit, we will be praying and declaring according to the Word. And we shouldn't step out of line with that, John 16, 23-28. There's a lot of seeking the Lord and listening to Him. We need to work to be like Jesus. We need to seek to say only what the Father says and do only what we see the Father doing, John 5, 19-23. It's the same as the principles of weightlifting. We need to work to get fitter and stronger. Spiritually, we need to work to get fitter and stronger. God's the one with the power. He's given us authority to wield it through Jesus' name. But it's His power, and He's doing the work. It isn't us deciding we want to change something, do something, or see something come to pass. In nothing, be it a stress in our life, healing, finances, living situation, or our business, in nothing is it our will, our desire, or our wants. It's Jesus, Jesus, Jesus. It's seeing what the Word says and wanting to both step into that and choosing to live in it. His way, His timing, His dream, His plan, His will. We renew our minds according to the Word, abide in the Lord, and seek to do His will. In that authority, we can command our bodies. How? As we saw in Scripture, Jesus has, by His sacrifice, being raised from the dead to life again, renewed our spirit, Ephesians 4, 22-24. Our spirit is perfect and whole, nothing missing, nothing broken. We can command our bodies to align with that through Jesus' name. This does not mean pounds will miraculously melt away. This isn't a golden ticket for bad living or unhealthy conduct. It does not mean we get to decide whatever we like and demand that it happen. Much like grace isn't a ticket to sin more, declarations aren't a ticket to free living. We have to be in accord with the Word. Now, the Word says we can be healthy, Proverbs 4, 20-22. We can be whole. Sometimes it takes more than words. Nowhere does it say doctors are evil and medicine should be shunned. But words are always part of the equation. This is clearly implied with the Word. It says again and again, don't let. That implies choice. That implies our words can make a difference because the enemy has no discernment, no ability to speak, see, or understand the Spirit. He can only go by the words we say. He can only attack what we say because it's all that he gets. If in the face of physical infirmity we declare health by standing on and speaking the Word on health and healing, he gets confused fast. If in the face of poverty we stand on and speak the Word on riches and prosperity, he gets confused fast. We align ourselves with the Word because there is nothing but good there for us, Psalm 103. Words are always part of the equation. Confession is a powerful tool, as is belief. If you don't believe, it won't happen. Belief is the fuel that opens the valve of faith that enables the power to flow into us as he plans. So when the Word says, don't let your hands be weak, you need to choose strength. Not your own strength, but his, intentionally, on purpose, deciding to. The Lord tells us that in His Word. Yah is my strength and song. He has become my salvation. This is my God and I will praise Him. My Father's God and I will exalt Him. Exodus 15.2 Seek Yahweh and His strength. Seek His face forevermore. 1 Chronicles 16.11 Then He said to them, Go your way, eat the fat, drink the sweet, and send portions to Him for whom nothing is prepared. For today is holy to our Lord. Don't be grieved, for the joy of Yahweh is your strength. Nehemiah 8.10 God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Psalm 46.1 Even the youths faint and get weary, and the young men utterly fall. But those who wait for Yahweh will renew their strength, for they will mount up with wings like eagles. They will run and not be weary, they will walk and not faint. Isaiah 40.30-31 We need to not lose our strength by choice. How? By choosing to turn to the Lord, by praising Him and seeking His face through worship and meditation on the Word. Remembering that we are strong in the Lord and this strength of His might. Ephesians 6.10-20 By making Him our refuge on which we put all our cares, by resting in Him. And all this strength is important because Jesus told us the greatest commandment in all of Scripture in Mark 12.29-30. Jesus answered, the greatest is, hear Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength. This is the first commandment. He was quoting Deuteronomy 6.4-6. Hear Israel, Yahweh is our God, Yahweh is one. You shall love Yahweh your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your might. These words which I command you today shall be on your heart. If we choose to take our eyes off the Lord, if we choose to stop praising Him, if we choose to stop taking in the Word, we risk failing in our commandment to love the Lord our God. If we go to Him, we get strength, Psalm 119.28, and purpose, 1 Peter 2.9, and a glorious promise. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me, Philippians 4.13. That is a great promise. Let Christ do everything, and everything can be done in Christ through His strength. We can have what we say, but we must say according to the Word. We don't cheer and start speaking about cars, homes, and money. God doesn't see possessions. The Father sees Jesus. We cannot get into His presence on our own or in our own name. We aren't righteous. Only righteousness can stand in His presence, in Jesus, and by His name we can approach the throne. If we speak His words, we are heard. If we inhabit His praises, we are heard. If we live by His Word, we are heard. If our purpose is His presence, we will receive. If we ask anything according to His name and His will, we receive. John 14.14. That means asking according to the Word, relying on the Word, being in Jesus, for Jesus, and about Jesus. In Him we have joy. In Him we have peace. In Him we have riches. In Him we have health. In Him we have it all. Look at Jesus' life from His baptism to the triumphal entry. This is the period of His ministry before the path to the cross starts in earnest. I mean, everything was about the cross, but I'm talking about pre-endgame. What is Jesus' life like during this time period? He does the will of the Father. He lives in perfect health. I mean, the Bible tells us when Peter's mother-in-law was sick, it would tell us if Jesus had sniffles. He's a homeowner. He has access to resources. He eats well. He wants for nothing. He has a pretty good life. It was Father-focused. We're called to live like that. Nothing missing, nothing wanting, having things, but willing to give them all up. It's not about being blessed. It's about being blessed in order to bless those around us. If you're not being a blessing, there's no reason for you to be blessed. Living well, but not pursuing fine living. Wanting nothing, but not living for once. Being strong, but strong in the Lord God Almighty. Being wise, but wise in the Word. Doing what the Father wants, saying what the Father wants, and living the way the Father wants. Having everything about the Word and nothing about the flesh. Being willing to carry a cross. Being willing to sacrifice. Being willing to suffer if that suffering is for the Word. Not being weak. Not being afraid. Not because of us, our works, our deeds, our thoughts, our desires, or our accomplishments. Because of Jesus. Because of Holy Spirit. Because of the Father. Because of God. Living for Him. Living in Him. Enjoying His strength and His peace. I have been crucified with Christ, and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. That life which I now live in the flesh, I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave Himself up for me. Galatians 2.20 What a great reason not to fear. Our daily affirmation of God's love is Joel 2.11-13 I am grateful that Jesus paid the price for sin. I am grateful that nothing I do can separate me from the love of the Lord God Almighty. I don't have to fear His judgment. I don't have to fear His punishment. I can with a grateful heart accept His correction. I can walk into the throne room, smile at the Father, and see His smile on me. It is glorious beyond my imagination. What a great love God has for us. As we close, remember that you have birthed. You were precious and valuable. Declare this. Today, God loves that I, now you, fill in the blank. Was it a meal you made? A smile you gave? Did you get out of bed? Read? Put on socks? There's no wrong answers here. There is no end to God's love. And no end to the things about you that He loves each and every day. Pick one. And remember, the Lord loves you. Just because you're you. 1 John 4, 9-10 tells us, By this, God's love was revealed in us, that God has sent His only-born Son into the world, that we might live through Him. And this is love. Not that we love God, but that He loved us, and sent His Son as the atoning sacrifice for our sins. His perfect love turned away God's wrath because of sin. And it casts out our fear, too. See verses 18 and 19. We love because He first loved us. He just loves us. Can't get enough of us. And that is wonderful. See you next time.