In This Corner.... I AM

This is a series of devotions and meditations on scripture that rejects fear in any form. It emphasizes the importance of faith and trust in God. The transcript shares various examples from the Bible where God fought for His people and asks for obedience and worship in return. It encourages not to let fear affect us and to trust in God's guidance and protection. 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 Deuteronomy 3.22 You shall not fear them, for Yahweh your God Himself fights for you. The Lord God Jehovah fights for us. Okay, I could stop there. The Being, the Supreme Being, the Great I Am, the One who created everything that is and has been and will be. That's Genesis 1.1 and the foundation of everything else in the Word. The One who keeps us all alive by His will alone. Psalm 66.9 and Job 34.14-15 This is the One who is fighting for us. Why would we fear? How can we decide to fear? This verse tells us just that. Not to fear whom we face, and that those we face will not inspire fear in us. Have you ever been confident? Other people are moaning or worried, but you're smiling and saying, We've got this. This is what this verse is all about. Total confidence on our part. Not because we're so awesome and great and capable. Not because of what we can do. Not because of us. Because of what He is. Yahweh says, I am He, whose godliness suffices for every creature. Therefore walk before Me, and I will be your God and your protector. This is what I Am means. Almighty God. God Almighty. El Shaddai. Genesis 17.1 Do we have to worry about that person talking behind our backs? The bully who torments us? That person, insert grumbly name calling here, at work who backstabs us and spreads rumors about the cleanliness of our undies? No! Don't be intimidated. Don't be fearful. God can take care of all of it. What about an abuser? Should we not worry about that? No. We shouldn't worry. Worry is fear, and fear isn't faith. God loves us more than anyone or anything. And He commands us to love one another. But He doesn't want us in unsafe circumstances. It's okay to get out, to get away from an abuser, and be safe. Now if that person is going to be saved, get redeemed, get changed, and get back into our lives, God can take care of that. While He does that, we can be safe. Be led by the Lord. Wherever He is calling you, He has enabled you to reach that place. Whether it's a promised land, a motel, or a friend's couch. He called the Israelites to the promised land and enabled them to reach it. It was the Israelites who refused to go. They then had to hang out in the desert places until the next generation grew up, a generation willing to go in. If we are willing to go, He will take care of the rest. So don't let worry kick up. We only need to trust and listen and obey. He can help us get to a safe place. Now all of these situations have something in common. We're facing trouble. Small trouble or really big trouble. We're still facing it. And God says, don't worry. He doesn't say be happy about what's going on. He doesn't say whistle and pretend nothing is wrong. He doesn't say deny the situation, stick your head in the sand and think wishfully. He's calling us to deny the right of the situation to negatively affect us. To stand on His word. To not let fear of the situation in. To love Him. To love those against you. And then do what He says because He's fighting for you and can tell you what to do. God is asking us to establish ourselves as a temple to Him. A place of worship. An altar of praise and worship. When we do that, we're inviting Him in. If we're inviting Him in, shouldn't we listen to Him? Obey Him? In Luke 6 46, Jesus asks, why do you call me Lord, Lord, and don't do the things which I say? It's worth thinking about. Obedience is a key aspect of worship. But does this work, you ask? Yes. I've done things that seem stupid to me because He told me. And it worked out. I've done things that seemed sensible and prudent to me because He told me to. And that also worked out. But all those things, that's experiential. So I'm not going to share them with you here. Experiences can be colorful. They are fun to listen to. They can help us understand things. But they're different for everyone. We need something more than just something to make us smile. We need something we can worth standing on. Now I'm not knocking testimony and sharing experiences. Far from it. But day to day, our bodies need more than stories to keep going. We need real food. Experiences should point to the food, not take the place of the food. Look to the Word for what is truth. So is there an example in the Word? Many. What's a favorite of mine? 1 Chronicles 14. 13 to 15. The Philistines made another raid in the valley. David inquired again of God. And God said to him, You shall not go up after them. Turn away from them. And come on them opposite the mulberry trees. When you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the mulberry trees, then go out to battle. For God has gone out before you to strike the army of the Philistines. Now that's pretty specific. Now just before this, in verse 8 to 12, the Philistines had come into the valley and David had kicked their butts. Now he could have faced them directly this time too. He didn't though. He went around, looked at some mulberries, maybe thought about pie, and he waited to hear a sound. When he did, they went forward, and they kicked butt again. They routed them so badly that all the nations around them became afraid of their prowess. What would have happened if David hadn't obeyed? Who knows? Chances are nothing good. What do we know? The Lord fought for them. It makes a difference to obey. It may seem silly or unnecessary, but obey. Look at Jehoshaphat in 2 Chronicles 20. Tomorrow go down against them. Behold, they are coming up by the ascent of Ziz. You will find them at the end of the valley, before the wilderness of Jeruel. Verse 16. Weirdly specific, yes? God told them where. God told them to arm for battle. God told them that the battle wasn't theirs. He would fight for them. But He told them where they would find the enemy. And He did fight for them. When they got there, the enemy were already dead. They'd killed each other. He told the nation of Judah what to do. They obeyed Him. They praised Him. And He fought for them. So sometimes the situation calls for us to do things, and sometimes the situation calls for just Him to do things. And sometimes it's a combination. As Jesus passed by from there, two blind men followed Him, calling out and saying, Have mercy on us, Son of David. When He had come into the house, the blind men came to Him. Jesus said to them, Do you believe that I am able to do this? They told Him, Yes, Lord. Then He touched their eyes, saying, According to your faith, be it done to you. Then their eyes were opened. Jesus strictly commanded them, saying, See that no one knows about this. But they went out and spread abroad His fame and all that land. Matthew 9, 27-32 Jesus fought for them. He fought against their blindness, removed it, and they could see. It took nothing more than their willingness to believe in Him. As He passed by, He saw a man blind from birth. His disciples asked Him, Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind? Jesus answered, This man didn't sin, nor did his parents, but that the works of God might be revealed in him. I must work the works of Him who sent me while it is day. The night is coming when no one can work. While I am in the world, I am the light of the world. When He had said this, He spat on the ground, made mud with the saliva, anointed the blind man's eyes with the mud, and said to him, Go, wash in the pool of Siloam, which means scent. So he went away, washed, and came back seeing. John 9, 1-7 Jesus had been near the temple. The pool of Siloam was across the city from there. This guy had to walk a fair bit with spit on his eyes. There were a lot of opportunities for Him to say, This is stupid, and wipe the mud off. He wouldn't have had His sight. It wasn't the saliva of Jesus or the dirt of Jerusalem or even both together that healed the man. It was obedience. He went and did. Jesus fought for him. He fought against his blindness, removed it, and he could see. But it took action on the part of the man. Worship can also be a part of God fighting for us. As He entered into a certain village, ten men who were lepers met Him, who stood at a distance. They lifted up their voices, saying, Jesus, Master, have mercy on us. When He saw them, He said to them, Go and show yourselves to the priests. As they went, they were cleansed. One of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, glorifying God with a loud voice. He fell on his face at Jesus' feet, giving Him thanks, and he was a Samaritan. Jesus answered, Weren't the ten cleansed? But where are the nine? Were there none found who returned to give glory to God except this foreigner? Then He said to him, Get up and go your way. Your faith has healed you. Luke 7, 12-19 Jesus fought for them all. He fought the leprosy and conquered it. But only one of the ten was worshipful. Ten men walked away leprous. They were having to be obedient in their belief that Jesus was able to heal them. The priests would not want their time wasted. It took faith to walk toward a cleansing ceremony while still leprous. But as they were obedient, they were cleansed. The leprosy left. However, only one had a worshipful attitude in that cleansing. He went back and worshiped the Lord. Only he was healed. The others had no more leprosy. This man was restored. That's quite a difference. Jesus fought and He participated in the fight through obedience, through their obedience. He also participated through worship. Giving credit where credit was due. Thanking the Lord for what happened. The Lord is able to do. The Lord knows what to do. The Lord asks that we do. Sometimes with a passive action. Sometimes with an active action. He is always worthy of worship in every scenario. The Lord God is wonderful. He is a good God. He is a good Father. He is worthy of our worship. It is part of our walk with Him. Always rejoice. Pray without ceasing. In everything give thanks for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus towards you. Don't quench the Spirit. 1 Thessalonians 5, 16-19 That's pretty clear. Simple. Not always easy. We have a tendency to remain in the habits of our pre-saved self. We look to the flesh. We look to feelings to tell us what we're experiencing. Whether we feel like worshiping or while worshiping if we feel like we're connecting with the Lord. That's silly. Feelings can't tell you anything but what your flesh feels. We're not flesh. We're spirit beings. We worship in spirit and in truth. John 4, 24 And let the peace of God rule in your hearts to which also you were called in one body and be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs singing with grace in your heart to the Lord. Whatever you do in word or in deed do all in the name of the Lord Jesus giving thanks to God the Father through Him. Colossians 3, 15-17 To sing to the Lord to worship Him in all our circumstances in all we do from dishes to deliverance we're with the Lord in mundane chores we're with the Lord when He moves mightily we are to worship Him always we're to be obedient always in all things being thankful to Him not for the particular circumstances He'll fight for you if we put Him first He looks out for us Psalm 91 He will fight for you big or small He'll do it He promises that in His word His word can be trusted Psalm 119, 140 Ask Him what to do Listen Obey Him and praise Him It'll be alright better than alright with Yahweh who sustains us it always is Our daily affirmation of God's love is Nehemiah 1, 5 Remember that covenant is a formal solemn and binding agreement God has a covenant with believers It is a covenant of loving kindness and steadfast love He is so known for it that it is one of the ways He was addressed in the Old Testament Psalm 144, 2 We can thank God that in the new covenant He continues to show us His loving kindness and steadfast love but adds complete redemption and perfect grace to that 2 Corinthians 12, 9 Nehemiah addressed God with respect reminding Him of the covenant of love but in the new covenant and the prayer of faith will heal him who is sick and the Lord will raise him up if he has committed sins he will be forgiven James 5, 15 We do have a better covenant the final covenant the one sealed with the body and blood of the Lord Jesus on Calvary We take communion as a remembrance of that reminding ourselves of everything He did for us everything He gave to us Nehemiah was asking God to remember the covenant through communion Jesus is asking us to remember the covenant to remember Him to remember the sacrifice the redemption the making us anew it reminds us of what we walk in it reminds us of who dwells inside us it reminds us that we are temples of the Lord it reminds us that we are not subject to the world it reminds us of the victory we have over every aspect of the curse to remind us that the healing power of Father God that raised Jesus from the dead resides inside of us it reminds us that the Holy Spirit was given to us as a teacher, guide and companion it reminds us that we are creatures of faith and not of fear it reminds us that we have the victory in Jesus in every situation, every time, in every way we are loved of God if He is for us, who can be against us? we are loved we are cherished we are His children remind yourself of that and walk in the thanksgiving of His love As we close, remember that you have earth you are 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