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Chaim: Elohim Is Big, and Fear Shrinks

Elohim is big, and fear shrinks. That is the principle I want burned into my heart.

My name is Chaim, חַיִּים, “life.” So Psalm 27:13 has always carried something deeply personal for me. David uses that same word, חַיִּים, chayim, when he speaks about seeing the goodness of Adonai “in the land of the living.”

“I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living.”

לוּלֵא הֶאֱמַנְתִּי לִרְאוֹת בְּטוּב־יְהוָה בְּאֶרֶץ חַיִּים׃

Lulei he’emanti lir’ot b’tuv Adonai b’eretz chayim.

Psalm 27:13 | תהילים כ״ז:13

For me, that is more than a beautiful verse. My very name reminds me: believe that you will see His goodness in the land of the living.

Fear tells us to expect destruction. Faith expects to see the goodness of Elohim.

The principle I want burned into my heart is simple. Elohim is big, and fear shrinks. Not the opposite.

We do not magnify fear until Elohim appears small. We magnify Elohim until fear is forced back into its proper size.

Chazak Ve’ematz

“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid, and do not be discouraged, for the LORD your Elohim is with you wherever you go.”

הֲלוֹא צִוִּיתִיךָ חֲזַק וֶאֱמָץ, אַל־תַּעֲרֹץ וְאַל־תֵּחָת, כִּי עִמְּךָ יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ בְּכֹל אֲשֶׁר תֵּלֵךְ׃

Joshua 1:9 | יהושע א׳:9

חֲזַק וֶאֱמָץ, Chazak ve’ematz. Be strong and courageous.

Notice why Joshua can be courageous: not because there are no enemies, no battles, and no danger, but because “the LORD your Elohim is with you.”

Biblical courage is not pretending the battle does not exist. It is knowing who goes with you into it.

That same principle appears when Peter sees Yeshua walking on the water.

Peter answered Him, “Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water.” And He said, “Come.” So Peter got out of the boat, walked on the water, and came toward Yeshua.

וַיַּעַן פֶּטְרוֹס וַיֹּאמֶר אֵלָיו: “אֲדוֹנִי, אִם אַתָּה הוּא, צַוֵּנִי לָבוֹא אֵלֶיךָ עַל הַמַּיִם.” וַיֹּאמֶר: “בּוֹא.” וַיֵּרֶד פֶּטְרוֹס מִן הַסִּירָה, וַיֵּלֶךְ עַל הַמַּיִם לָבוֹא אֶל יֵשׁוּעַ.

Matthew 14:28–29 | מתי י״ד:28–29

בּוֹא, Bo, Come. Sometimes faith is contained in one word.

Peter had to decide whether the voice of Yeshua was more trustworthy than what his eyes told him about the water.

Fear says, “Stay where it is safe.” Yeshua says, “Come.”

What Spirit Have We Received?

This brings us to one of the central passages.

“I am reminded of your sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and, I am persuaded, now lives in you also. For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of Elohim, which is in you through the laying on of my hands. For Elohim has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord, nor of me His prisoner, but share in suffering for the Good News according to the power of Elohim.”

כִּי אֱלֹהִים לֹא נָתַן לָנוּ רוּחַ שֶׁל פַּחַד, אֶלָּא רוּחַ שֶׁל גְּבוּרָה, אַהֲבָה וְיִשּׁוּב הַדַּעַת.

2 Timothy 1:5–8 | טימותיאוס ב׳ א׳:5–8

Paul’s Greek is particularly powerful:

So in the Hebrew concepts we have been using:

Paul did not use the ordinary Greek phobos here. He used deilia, emphasizing cowardice and shrinking back.

That means the contrast is magnificent:

Gevurah without love can become aggression. Love without courage can become sentimentality. Courage and love without Yishuv HaDa’at can become reckless emotion.

But Ruach HaKodesh gives us power, love, and disciplined clarity together.

Fan the Gift Into Flame

Paul says:

“For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of Elohim, which is in you through the laying on of my hands.”

מִשּׁוּם כָּךְ אֲנִי מַזְכִּיר לְךָ לְלַבּוֹת אֶת מַתְּנַת הָאֱלֹהִים אֲשֶׁר בְּךָ עַל־יְדֵי סְמִיכַת יָדַי.

2 Timothy 1:6 | טימותיאוס ב׳ א׳:6

The laying on of hands appears repeatedly in Scripture.

“Then they laid their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.”

אָז סָמְכוּ עֲלֵיהֶם אֶת יְדֵיהֶם וְהֵם קִבְּלוּ אֶת רוּחַ הַקֹּדֶשׁ.

Acts 8:17 | מעשי השליחים ח׳:17

“When Paul laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came upon them, and they spoke in tongues and prophesied.”

וּכְשֶׁסָּמַךְ עֲלֵיהֶם שָׁאוּל אֶת יָדָיו, בָּאָה עֲלֵיהֶם רוּחַ הַקֹּדֶשׁ, וְהֵם דִּבְּרוּ בִּלְשׁוֹנוֹת וְהִתְנַבְּאוּ.

Acts 19:6 | מעשי השליחים י״ט:6

“Do not neglect the gift that is in you, which was given to you through prophecy with the laying on of hands of the elders.”

אַל תַּזְנִיחַ אֶת הַמַּתָּנָה אֲשֶׁר בְּךָ, שֶׁנִּתְּנָה לְךָ בִּנְבוּאָה עִם סְמִיכַת יְדֵי הַזְּקֵנִים.

1 Timothy 4:14 | טימותיאוס א׳ ד׳:14

“Then, after fasting and praying, they laid their hands on them and sent them out.”

אָז, אַחֲרֵי שֶׁצָּמוּ וְהִתְפַּלְּלוּ, סָמְכוּ עֲלֵיהֶם אֶת יְדֵיהֶם וְשָׁלְחוּ אוֹתָם.

Acts 13:3 | מעשי השליחים י״ג:3

Yet this is not a mechanical transfer controlled by human beings. Ruach HaKodesh remains sovereign.

“While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit fell upon all who heard the message.”

עוֹד כֵּיפָא מְדַבֵּר אֶת הַדְּבָרִים הָאֵלֶּה, נָפְלָה רוּחַ הַקֹּדֶשׁ עַל כָּל הַשּׁוֹמְעִים אֶת הַדָּבָר.

Acts 10:44 | מעשי השליחים י׳:44

So laying on hands can accompany impartation, commissioning, confirmation, blessing, and activation, but Elohim is the giver.

The Gifts Are Supernatural

In 1 Corinthians 12:8–10 | קורינתים א׳ י״ב:8–10, the gifts include:

Romans 12:6–8 | רומים י״ב:6–8 adds:

And Ephesians 4:11 | אפסים ד׳:11 names:

These gifts are given for the strengthening and building up of the Kehilah, not for personal spiritual celebrity.

“As each one has received a gift, use it to serve one another as good stewards of the varied grace of Elohim… whoever speaks, as one speaking the words of Elohim; whoever serves, as one serving by the strength Elohim supplies.”

אִישׁ אִישׁ כְּפִי הַמַּתָּנָה אֲשֶׁר קִבֵּל, שָׁרְתוּ זֶה אֶת זֶה כְּסוֹכְנִים טוֹבִים עַל חֶסֶד אֱלֹהִים…

1 Peter 4:10–11 | פטרוס א׳ ד׳:10–11

And the governing principle:

“One and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually as He wills.”

וְאֶת כָּל אֵלֶּה פּוֹעֶלֶת אוֹתָהּ הָרוּחַ הָאַחַת, וּמְחַלֶּקֶת לְכָל אִישׁ כִּרְצוֹנָהּ.

1 Corinthians 12:11 | קורינתים א׳ י״ב:11

The believer must therefore ask: do I believe only in what I can produce naturally, or do I believe Elohim can do what I cannot?

“With man this is impossible, but with Elohim all things are possible.”

מִבְּנֵי אָדָם נִבְצָר הַדָּבָר, אֲבָל מֵאֱלֹהִים הַכֹּל אֶפְשָׁרִי.

Matthew 19:26 | מתי י״ט:26

Perfect Love Casts Out Fear

Power is not the only answer to fear. Love is also an answer.

“We have known and believed the love that Elohim has for us. Elohim is love, and whoever abides in love abides in Elohim, and Elohim abides in him. By this love is perfected with us, so that we may have confidence in the day of judgment… There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves punishment. The one who fears has not been perfected in love.”

אֵין פַּחַד בָּאַהֲבָה, אֶלָּא הָאַהֲבָה הַשְּׁלֵמָה מְגָרֶשֶׁת אֶת הַפַּחַד.

1 John 4:16–18 | יוחנן א׳ ד׳:16–18

אֵין פַּחַד בָּאַהֲבָה. Ein pachad ba’ahavah. There is no fear in love.

Fear shrinks as love becomes perfected.

Not Slaves, But Children Who Cry Abba

Finally, Romans gives perhaps the most intimate contrast of all.

“For all who are led by the Spirit of Elohim are sons of Elohim. For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption, by whom we cry, ‘Abba! Father!’”

כִּי לֹא קִבַּלְתֶּם רוּחַ עַבְדוּת לָשׁוּב אֶל הַפַּחַד, אֶלָּא קִבַּלְתֶּם רוּחַ אִמּוּץ, שֶׁבָּהּ אֲנַחְנוּ קוֹרְאִים: אַבָּא, אָבִינוּ!

Romans 8:14–15 | רומים ח׳:14–15

What a contrast. Slavery says, “Be afraid.” Adoption says, “Abba.”

Fear says, “What if?” Faith says, “Even if.”

Even if the circumstances change. Even if the battle becomes difficult. Even if I cannot control tomorrow.

I know whose I am. I know who walks with me. I know what Spirit Elohim has given me.

Not cowardice, but Gevurah, Ahavah and Yishuv HaDa’at. Power, love, and a settled, disciplined mind.

My name is Chaim. I believe I will see the goodness of Adonai בְּאֶרֶץ חַיִּים, b’eretz chayim, in the land of the living.

So I will not magnify fear. I will magnify Elohim.

And when Elohim becomes great in my vision, fear shrinks, not Elohim.

Continue in this series with When Elohim Corrects Us and One Shepherd, One People, One Mission, or browse everything on our Resources page. You can read Psalm 27 in full at Sefaria.