We're Not Near

This is a series of devotions and meditations on scripture that reject fear in all forms. Fear is a currency of darkness and ignorance, used by Satan to keep people down. Instead, champion faith and trust in God. Scripture teaches that perfect love casts out fear. The Holy Spirit will teach and remind us of all things. We don't need to ignore teaching, but the Holy Spirit can teach us all things. The teaching gives us wisdom and understanding, leading to great peace. We will be established in righteousness and recognized as godly. We will be far from oppression and terror, as fear will not be a part of our lives. We are called to be of God's power, love, and soundness. We will not oppress others or be oppressed, because we are disciplined by the Lord and separated unto Him. We will not rob or be in fear of poverty. Instead, we will be blessed to be a blessing to others. Poverty and ruin cannot come near us. We are 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 Isaiah 54.14 You will be established in righteousness. You will be far from oppression, for you will not be afraid, and far from terror, for it shall not come near you. This excites me. Does it excite you? It should excite you. This is a great verse, a verse to stand on. Within a great section of scripture that really drives home the steadfast love of the Lord toward us, that the Lord has promised not to be angry with us or rebuke us. Now, correction is when our behavior or thinking gets amended, brought into conformity with the Father's thinking. The treatment and rehabilitation of our souls by Holy Spirit. That is important for all of us. It is done with love, gentleness, and care. Rebuke, on the other hand, is a stern, sharp, and strong disapproval, a severe criticism. Correction is important for growth. Rebuke is important for adherence to a set of behavior. Both can be done in love, but correction is an arm around your shoulder as you're guided. A rebuke is a swat of the tushy. One is full of grace, the other full of law. I am ever grateful that we are under grace, that we are on the side of the cross where we get to enjoy the everlasting mercy of the Lord, which turns our hearts and lets us love His righteousness, giving us a hunger to emulate. That we don't have to endure a struggle to conform to a bunch of rules we can't hope to fully embrace without divine help. If you have ever seen a rainbow, you've seen His loving kindness, a promise so ingrained into the physical world that it is a scientific principle of electromagnetic spectrum, a principle where, when in action, it takes a single thing, light, and divides it into different wavelengths, enabling us to see several aspects of its wavelengths. When light meets atmosphere, this is a beautiful picture, of humanity being shown aspects of the Lord when His light meets our atmosphere, a promise to refrain from anger toward us, incidentally, modeling for us that anger is, in fact, a choice. To keep from rebuking us, but to show us the many sides of Himself, so that we can inhabit them in Jesus. To dwell in a covenant of peace with the Father, rejecting fear in each and every form it arrives in, to always have beside us His loving kindness. Isaiah 54, 9-10 Today's verse is a part of section where we are being taught what that looks like, where we are being shown where we will walk, and the victories that we will inhabit as we are making Him our fortress, making Him our high place, being obedient to Him in what He says. This is a place where we are being shown what the Lord does to ensure that victory. God's covenant of peace is not one promising us relaxing, peaceful, and quiet times. This is not the stereotyped retirement the world wishes for. The Lord acknowledges we will be faced with affliction and tossed by storms, but He also promises reward, mercy, and supernatural favor for those who will remain steadfast and obedient to Him. Verses 11-12 of this chapter. That actually starts in verse 13 and ends in verse 17. In this section, our first promise of how this will occur is that our children, actual children and also our spiritual children, those who we disciple, will be taught by Yahweh. Now the Lexham English Bible, a freely licensed literal translation, available at lexhampress.com, reads that they shall be pupils of Yahweh. So taught, trained by Him. This is also a promise of Jesus. Jesus tells us how we will be taught and get the fulfillment of this promise. But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, He will teach you all things and will remind you of all that I said to you. John 14-26. John himself amplifies on this, saying, As for you, the anointing which you received from Him remains in you, and you don't need for anyone to teach you. But as His anointing teaches you concerning all things, and is true, and is no lie, and even as it taught you, you will remain in Him. 1 John 2-27. This does not mean that we should be ignoring all teaching, that we don't need to be sitting under a pastor if we want to be doing ministry. It is not a get-out-of-jail-free pass. It does not mean that you should not be looking at going to Bible school, sitting under proper teaching, getting certified yourself. All things like this are important. They shouldn't be scorned. All John is saying, and what Jesus is saying is, you don't need that. The Holy Spirit is going to deal with you and bring things up. But why would the Lord want to repeat Himself over and over again to His body? Why wouldn't we go and sit under good teaching? Why wouldn't we go and get trained under good teaching, and let the Holy Spirit build on that? You see, the revelations that are coming to the church, they're not new teaching. They're not aside from Scripture. It's further commentary on what Jesus said, on what God said, and how it interacts with the Bible. It's not new. It is building on firm foundations. And how do you know what those firm foundations are? Well, avail yourself of the many, many quality teachings out there in the world today, including enrolling in a Bible college and getting yourself some teaching in that way. This doesn't scorn teaching. This is just saying you don't have to have it. If you're in a situation where you can't get that, as long as you're in the Word, the Holy Spirit can teach you and will teach you all things. If you can get training for that foundation, the Holy Spirit's going to build on that. Now, the other side of this promise is what that teaching gives us, beyond wisdom and understanding. Peace. Not just any peace, but great peace. Verse 13. It is a complete and utter anti-fear stance. Knowledge of the Word in our heart, wisdom imparted to us, ignites in us love. And that perfect love drives out fear. And that gives us peace. The closer we get to the Lord, the more we dwell in Jesus. The more peace we have. Jesus said, Peace I leave with you, my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives, I give to you. Don't let your heart be troubled, neither let it be fearful. John 14, 27. Now, he could have stopped right there. That there is an enormous blessing. But God doesn't work that way. He gives, then gives again, then gives again. He's a God of blessing and a God of growth. We will be established in righteousness. Established is defined as having been in existence for a long time, and therefore recognized and generally accepted. Isn't that great? We are going to be placed into him so much that the world around us will recognize us as having been in him for a long time, and therefore recognized and generally accepted as his. We will be noted as being godly. We will be noted as being righteous people. Not hidden, not judgmental, not condemning, but shining like beacons of his presence on earth. Matthew 5, 14-16. A presence that will welcome them in, not seek to drive them out. We will be far from oppression, for we will not be afraid. And we will be far from terror, for it shall not come near us. That's right. We will be socially distanced from oppression and terror. Why? Fear will not be a component of our lives. Remember, everything not of faith is a fear. So this is a promise, that the more we walk in faith, the more we are taught and trained in his ways, by his spirit, renewed to the things of the Lord, the more we will inhabit love and not fear. Terror is a spiritual entity, and it will be unable to get near us, because he who is in us will prevent it from getting close. 1 John 4, 4. Because perfect love casts out fear. 1 John 4, 18. We are not called to wallow in fear, to let it in any way into our lives. We are called to be of his power, his love, and his soundness, his self-control. 2 Timothy 1, 7. Further, the rabbis teach another aspect of this. And not only does Jesus' presence within us separate us from fear and all its works, but we are separated unto the Lord, as we are disciplined by Yahweh. But as we are separated, as we are disciplined, there is another result. The rabbis teach that we will also stay far from oppressing other people in the manner the wicked do. How do the wicked people get wealth? Robbery, dishonesty. We won't do that. We will not need to rob, because we will not have fear. People who rob are in fear. Fear of poverty, fear of ruin. This is not our problem. We worship a God of blessing, Philippians 4.19 and Luke 6.38. To be blessed so much that we can be a blessing to others. It's not about stuff. It's not about being prosperous or the way the world sees prosperity. The point of prosperity is to bless people around us. So poverty, dire straits and ruin cannot come near us or even approach us. We will shake oppression off of us like dust off a coat. We are established into His everlasting redemption, Hebrews 9.11-12. Inside His redemption, how can we fear other people's oppression or oppress others? It is antithetical to the nature of God to oppress. As His children, made in His image, we gain back Jesus' nature, Colossians 3.10, when we are saved. Therefore, it is antithetical to us as well. We walk in His peace. The Lord promises, verse 15, that the world may choose to gather against us. They may choose to line up and seek our lives. And so what exactly is the promise? That it won't be because of the Lord. The Lord will not have sent them against us. It will not be a rebuke against us. It will not be a test sent by Him to teach us something. Although, as with everything, He can teach us something in every circumstance that we are in. He's not giving us our just desserts. He's not enforcing His law. We are under grace. Sin has been paid for. He does not and will not use the world to make sure we comply. Instead, the Lord points out that because those who come against us aren't from Him, they will not stand. Because of our identity in Jesus, they will fail. Whoever will gather against us will fall because of us who abide in Jesus, taking up our cross and following Him in obedience. So, how is it that they will fall? That's always the question. How? Well, that and why? Well, the Lord goes on. He says, Behold, I have created the blacksmith who fans the coals into flame and forges a weapon for his work, and I have created the destroyer to destroy. So, verses 15 to 16. So, what is He saying? That the Lord is ultimately in control. That the forces of destruction were created by Him as well. Which means even though the enemy steals from that power, the enemy doesn't control it. Yes, the free will of man has let the enemy embrace and wield destruction in horrible ways. But for those who let the Lord move, who are obedient and humble before Him, letting the Lord in to do what the Lord wants, when the Lord wants, and how the Lord wants, for those who alter with the Lord, Romans 12, 1, then the Lord will decide what happens. The Lord has the final call on who is destroyed and who is not. The ones that are obedient do not get destroyed. The ones that are disobedient, or who won't walk where He says to walk, well, the enemy may marshal his forces and gather their weapons and come against us, but he who is in us has something to say about it. No weapon formed against you will prevail, and you will condemn every tongue that rises against you in judgment. Verse 17. Remember that the Lord created the blacksmith who forges the weapon, and He created the destroyer who destroys, and the Lord's presence within us marks us, and that marking turns away weapons, like He turned the flames from those in the furnace. Daniel 3, 8-25. He can turn the edge of the weapons from us. The Hebrew in this verse reads any weapon whetted against you. That's not even weapons being brought against us, but weapons sharpened with the intent of being used against us. Anything whetted, sharpened, or prepared in order to do battle against us, sharp knives or sharp words, they will not prevail against us. Why? The righteousness of God. That's what we were instructed in back in verse 13. As we hearken to that instruction and abide in Jesus, Jesus abides in us. John 15, 4-11. By this we know that we remain in Him and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit. We have seen and testified that the Father has sent the Son as the Savior of the world. Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God remains in Him and He in God. We know and have believed the love which God has for us. God is love, and He who remains in love remains in God, and God remains in Him. In this, love has been made perfect among us that we may have boldness in the day of judgment, because as He is, even so we are in this world. 1 John 4, 13-17. Now that's protection, and that is promise. If you don't believe me, keep reading our verses. This is the heritage of Yahweh's servants, and their righteousness is of me, says Yahweh. Verse 17. Now the Lexham English Bible gives us verse 17 like this. Every weapon formed against you shall not succeed, and you shall declare guilty. Every tongue that rises against you for judgment. This is the inheritance of the servants of Yahweh, and their legal right from me, declares Yahweh. Our inheritance is justice by a declaration of the Lord God Almighty. The devil is a legalist. He is the author of loopholes and technicalities. But here he has no ground to stand on, no nitty-gritty to grab hold of and accuse us. Not that it does him any good, 1 John 2, 1-2. This is justice. Justice is the maintenance or administration of what has a basis in or conforming to fact, especially by the assignment of merited reward. What is our reward? Our reward by declaration of Yahweh? The same God who by word created the universe? What has He declared to be ours by word? A legal right to our inheritance. It cannot be taken from us. It cannot be kept from us. The Lord God Almighty sits in the courts of heaven and declares it to be ours. That inheritance? The fact that no one can rise up against us without being guilty? That no sharp knives prepared for our injury can strike us? We are protected, set apart, and holy unto God, full of His righteousness in Jesus, the Anointed One, who in turn anoints us. 1 John 2, 18-19. Are you taking this all in? Yahweh promises to train us, to train us in His ways, to enable us to walk in them in Jesus, that as we abide in Jesus, Jesus will take up residence in us, bringing His righteousness. Our spirits are renewed so much that they are a clone of Jesus Himself, co-heirs of the kingdom and sons of God Most High. Romans 8, 17 and Galatians 2, 26. As we abide in Jesus and read the Word with intent, purpose and listening, willing to submit to what we find there, He will renew our minds. Ephesians 4, 23. Our blessing in the Spirit will spill over, altering and transforming our souls and then our physical existence. This is our inheritance. The world will storm against us in the physical and we will still be at peace with the Lord in the midst of the storm. Matthew 8, 23-34. Now Isaiah 54, 13-17 is among the most powerful promises of the Lord in the Word. A promise and a way of navigating the world for these times that we live in. These verses are verses to speak out over yourself and your family every day. This isn't frivolous. This isn't pie in the sky. This isn't happy-go-lucky talk. Read the whole chapter and learn about the context of the verses and you can see that the Lord is not promising no issues. This was spoken to people in captivity, to people who had rejected Him and paid the price for it. But it's also a promise of union, of joining with the Lord. A messianic promise that we can inhabit as its fulfillment or one of its fulfillments. This is the Jesus relationship in a nutshell. Seek Him. Humble yourself. Allow yourself to be instructed and corrected by Him. See Him inhabit your life as you inhabit His. Get given by grace through faith your legal right of inheritance, your inheritance in the Lord. I speak these verses daily and come into agreement with the declaration of the Lord Most High. I encourage you to do the same. Our daily affirmation of God's love is Nehemiah 9, 20-23. The Lord loves us and provides for us. Food, water, and prevention of sickness. Exodus 23, 25. He gives us places to dwell, riches to enjoy, be that fertile ground, comfortable residences, possessions, or money. He helps that which we have. He helps that which we have to last so we're not always spending to replace it. This doesn't mean that He's going to ensure that nothing ever wears out or that our pantries are always full, but it doesn't mean that He won't. 1 Kings 17, 14. He cares for His obedient children. As we get close to Him, He gets close to us. As we are obedient and love to do His will, He is released to shower us with His goodness, especially in times of lack, want, and disaster. He blesses us so that we can be a blessing to those around us, to be of generous spirit. If you put your absolute trust in Him, it will be justified. He promises that again and again. He loves you. He wants the best for you. Believe it, receive it, and walk in it. As we close, remember that you have worth. 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 loved 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.