Total Advocacy

This is a series of devotions and meditations on scripture that reject fear in any form. Fear is a spiritual force used by Satan to keep people down. Instead, we champion faith in God. When we call on Him, He answers us and tells us not to be afraid because He is our security. God loves us deeply and wants us to bring Him our needs and struggles. Jesus is our advocate with the Father. We are transformed into a new creature through His sacrifice. God has a way forward for us in every situation. We should trust Him and rely on His love. God loves us unconditionally and wants to see us blessed and safe. We are precious and valuable to Him. His love casts 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 Lamentations 3.57-58 You came near in the day that I called on you. You said, Don't be afraid. Lord, you have pleaded the causes of my soul. You have redeemed my life. In the old covenant, they had to call and cry for the Lord. In the new covenant, the Lord dwells inside us. We are able to enter into the throne room of the Lord. Hebrews 4.16 The Holy of Holies. But the principle in this verse is the same today as it was then. The Lord will answer us when we call on Him. Psalm 91.15 We might be turning our head to say, Lord. We might be crying out with all we have. It doesn't matter to Him. We call. He answers. We don't even have to stand in the courts of His temple. We have that right. But He does live inside us. He's as close as close can be. And He knows all that we go through. But we can still call on Him. We can still say, hey, this is happening. In fact, He likes it. Why? Well, we might know what our children like, but we still enjoy hearing them ask. Not to make them beg. Not to hold it out, dangling their wants and needs as a prize to jump for. We like to hear it so that we get the joy of saying yes and seeing their faces light up. The Lord is our Father. He feels the same way. And if we bring our needs and our wants and our struggles, Jesus is there to be our advocate with the Father. Day and night to talk us up, to tell the Father how things are under the blood in Jesus. Because that's what the Father sees. He sees Jesus in us. So what happens when we call on Him? Well, He gets close to us. As close as He is, that arm goes around us. He pats His leg with His hand and invites us to jump up into His lap. He never fails to do this. If we call on the Lord, the Lord answers us every time. Jeremiah 33.3. If your ears are open, your spirit will hear Him every time. And what is the first thing He says when we tell Him of our problems, issues, fears, concerns, worries, stresses, wants, and needs? Don't be afraid. Why? The Lord is our security. Proverbs 3.25-26. Whatever is facing us, it isn't too big for Him. He has it all covered. God has made a lot of promises in His Word about us and our lives. Each and every promise through Him is a yes. 2 Corinthians 1.20. They are glorious promises of freedom and blessing. Our security in Him is where the Lord starts. It isn't where He ends. God is specific. He doesn't sweep us up with generalities. He gave us Jesus as Lord and Savior. He also gave Jesus as an advocate. 1 John 2.1-2 says we have a counselor, a helper, intercessor, advocate, and comforter in Jesus. That He was and is the atoning sacrifice for sin, ours and everyone else's too. This was done while we were still in sin. It puts paid to the idea that God hates sinners. He doesn't. He hates sin. But He loves each and every person that He created. That is an amazing thing. How can we not bring Him our praises and worship the moment that we can enter His righteous presence without fear? The moment we have been redeemed and covered by the blood of the Lamb. How can you fear with all of that on your side? The Lord doesn't tell us not to be afraid because His Word says we'll be blessed or victorious. He tells us not to be afraid because He has Jesus in your corner. I mean, God is one. God is holy. God is righteous. But God is also three people. The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. They are constantly and continually telling us what the best course of action is, how to do it, as well as what to do. They're picking us up when we fall, forgiving us when we repent, giving us the tools not to fall again, comforting us when we're sad, and showing us how to put sorrow beneath our feet. They are the biggest and most total proponents of glorious living that have ever existed, ever, because they invented it. And they want it for everyone. Every spirit renewed. Everyone covered and walking in Jesus' righteousness. Jesus came from heaven to die for you and for me and for everyone. He did not wait for us to ask Him to. He did not wait until we wanted Him. He did it when we hated, despised, and were repulsed by everything righteous. We did not want Him. We were, in fact, more likely to be in the crowd baying for His blood than we were to be among those who loved Him but were afraid. Jesus died anyway, paid the price anyway, rose from the dead, and broke the power of sin for all eternity. Anyway. He redeemed your life without anything on the table except His love for us. If we reach out and accept it, His sacrifice will transform us into a new creature. 2 Corinthians 5, 17-19. We are brand new, reconciled to God Almighty because of His steadfast love and eternal, unending mercy. Given Jesus' righteous spirit because God is righteous and nothing unrighteous can withstand or survive in His presence. Praise the Lord. This is the God who is in your corner. There's no way forward for you. God has a way for you to go forward. Jeremiah 29-11. You're weary? Life beating you down? God has you covered. 2 Corinthians 12-10. Struggling with temptations? God can show you the way through. 1 Corinthians 10-13. Are you a bundle of feelings? At the mercy of what broils, broods, or grips you? God can steady you. 2 Peter 1, 5-9. God is a good God. Psalm 145-9. His mercy endures forever. Psalm 136-1. He's worthy of our praise. Revelation 4-11. And He has His hands open to you. Isaiah 41-13-14. There is healing in His wings. Malachi 4-2. The wings that we live under. Psalm 91. Jesus is ready to take us in. To join us up and set us on the path right behind Him. So we can walk like Him, talk like Him, and imitate Him in every way. Ephesians 5-2. Fear has no place in your life. Not at any time. Not over anything. Not one single thing. The Lord has us covered more ways than we can understand in our humanity. Isaiah 55-8-9. So accept the redemption of the Lord and let Him transform you into a new creature. And leave that old human behind. Once you've received it, rely on Him. Trust Him. Don't let fear turn your prayers into begging. Don't let fear make you doubt. God is bigger than that. God is better than that. God is everything. Let Him be everything to you. By grace. Through faith. According to His word. He gives it all to you. Receive it. Believe it. Walk in it. Our daily affirmation of God's love is Psalm 5, 11-12. God loves us. And God loves to see us blessed and safe. Where is it safe? In His arms. Arms that He extends to us all. Waiting like a patient father for us to toddle across the room and collapse into them. To be wrapped in that safety, that joy, that righteousness. And behind the wall of His favor. The Lord loves you deeply. Run to His arms and see for yourself. As we close, remember that you have birth. 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. First John 4, 9 to 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.