“Do not be afraid, you worm Jacob, little Israel, do not fear, for I myself will help you," declares the LORD, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel.” (Isaiah 41:14).

     Whilst we may initially flinch as God pointedly refers to us as “mere worms”, have we ever known God to say anything that is not the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth? Is God a man that He should sugar coat any of His words? For whilst we remain “CARNAL in nature”, is it not true that we are no better than worms? Which is the nature of the fallen man before the Spirit of God moves upon the deep of his waters to help him. Which is a man both without form and void. Being a man without righteousness (without form) and, therefore, void of true life. For where do all worms dwell? Is it not in the ground? And is the ground not dust? And compared to an upright and righteous man, is a worm not without form and void? Just like dust?

     Which is the same condition of the earth before the Spirit of God moved upon the earth. For is it not written, “The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters” (Genesis 1:2)? For is the earth not a type and pattern of man? Does the earth in Genesis 1:2 not represent unregenerate man, which is a man who dwells in “complete darkness”? For was “darkness” not over the face of the deep? And does a worm not dwell in complete darkness? Which is the pattern of a man who lives and feeds with his “eyes always closed”, who feeds upon the dust of the ways of the world, a man who is a slave unto the nature of his own flesh? And as such, slithers around forever prostrate, without a spine, and therefore unable to stand up from his formless and void existence? For is an unrighteous man not like a man without a spine? For does it not take a spine to stand uprightly? And is a worm not without a spine? And can a worm of its own stand up and walk? And can an unrighteous man of his own stand up and walk uprightly (righteously)? Which is to have character and substance? Which is to have form and to not be void? For is an unrighteousness man not void before the judgement seat of God?

     And is it not a common saying that he who “is without a spine” is one who is afraid? And does God not say to Jacob, “Do not be afraid, you worm Jacob“? Which is to say, get a spine, Jacob! For when the “once upright” Lucifer was “cast down” from on high unto the earth, did he not take on the form of “a spineless worm”? Which was to be bent low and humbled as a serpent? And did not fear enter Satan from that day? And does Satan now therefore not rule by fear? For is it not fear that now rules Satan? And does he not now have a good reason to be very afraid? Does he not know that his days are numbered and his time is almost up? And when the spirit of Satan entered Adam in the Garden of Eden, did the “once upright” Adam then not take on “the fallen nature”? Which is the fallen nature of the worm of his father Satan when Satan’s spirit entered him? Which is a man whose days are now also numbered (Psalm 89:47-49)?

     For was it not “the pride of life” (1 John 2:16), being one of the three pillars of the way and the truth and the life of the fallen nature, that brought them both low? For is it not written that pride comes before the fall (Proverbs 16:18)? Which is to bend man low to the ground, like a worm? For is it not written that God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble (Proverbs 3:34; 1 Peter 5:5; James 4:6)? And is it not the pride of life that has brought us ALL low? But does God the Father not also say to Jacob, “Do not be afraid, for I Myself shall help you”? For does perfect love not cast out ALL fear (1 John 4:18? And is God not the Spirit of perfect love? Is this not why God tells us to “pursue love”? For does the Spirit of perfect love not cast out all fear?

     For does God not clearly say, “Earnestly pursue love and eagerly desire spiritual gifts, especially the gift of prophecy” (1 Corinthians 14:1)? Is this not how God Himself will help us? Is this not how God gives grace to the humble? Is this not how, by His perfect love, we are transformed from being mere worms? For is it not in the pattern of visible things that a worm is metamorphosed from being constrained to the earth by the captivity of a formless existence into something that is able to untether itself from the ways of the world, and from a void existence, and fly? And is not a butterfly utterly beautiful? Is it not gentle and kind and peaceful? Are these not the fruits of the Spirit? And is mankind not drawn to the wonder of flight? For is it not written that they who wait on the LORD (humble themselves), shall renew their strength, and mount up on wings like eagles (Isaiah 41:31)? Being those who no longer wallow in the carnality of the ways of our flesh. As bottom feeders. Eating the scraps of the ways of life from the dirt. For is it not upon the floor that we find the scraps? For until we are redeemed, restored and renewed into the image and likeness of Jesus, we are but dust, nothing more. And where else, but on the floor, does dust belong? And where else, but in the dust, does a worm abide?

     But for those whose hope is in God, does the call to “pursue love” and to “seek the gifts” not speak of two distinct things? Being a call to two separate things? For they are specifically singled out and separated by God as being distinct from one another. And are the invisible attributes of God seen in all creation also not arranged into two distinct categories (Romans 1:20)? Which is His “divine nature” and His “eternal power”? And is not the call to “pursue love” not the call to pursue the “divine nature” of God? And is the call to seek the gifts not the call to seek the “eternal power” of God? Which is why God deliberately pairs them together, and also singles them out. For as God’s invisible qualities, being His divine nature and eternal power, “together” they clothe us in both His image (nature) and His likeness (power).

     To “pursue love” is to be “led” internally by the Spirit. By distinction, “the gifts” are when the power of the Spirit comes externally “upon us”. Prayer is an example of being led internally by the Spirit. For God has called us to be a house of prayer. When we are led by His Spirit to pray, we operate in love. Which is to take on His divine nature. Which is the Spirit of perfect love. And unlike the operation of the gifts which manifest His eternal power, and which manifest ”publicly” for all eyes to see, prayer is the true evidence of being a son. For not only are sons all those who are “led by the Spirit”, but the true Son also made Himself “of no reputation”. When we pray for others, and for God’s name to be hallowed, for His kingdom to come, and for His will to be done earth as it is in heaven, we do this “in private”. For does the Word not tell us to pray “in secret”? To go into our prayer closet and pray? And is the act of doing things where you “cannot be seen” being those who are “not interested in their own reputation”? For true love is not motivated by self. Is that not the true benchmark of love?

      Intercession is therefore one of the ways in which we take on the “divine nature”. When we move in the gifts, that’s when God displays and demonstrates His “eternal power”. But does the Word not speak of some of us who operate in the gifts as being those who Jesus rebukes and tells them, “Depart from Me, for I know you not?” Is that not because they cast out demons and heal the sick in the authority and power of the name of Jesus, not so that God’s name may be hallowed, but so that their names may be revered? Not so that God’s kingdom may come, but so that their kingdom may be established? Not so that God’s will is done, but so that their own will is served? And is that not the example of someone who operates out of the incorrect motive, but also someone who isn’t led by the Spirit? They are led by their own agenda. By their own will. Which would explain why Jesus says to these “I know you not”, even though they cast out demons and heal the sick. Because they are not led by the Spirit, being the will of the Father, and as such are, therefore, not sons. Which is why Jesus said I know you not. For what father knows not his own sons? And, as such, these are those who do not have the divine nature. But for those who are led by the Spirit, and who operate in the power of the gifts for the benefit of others, not self, are these not true sons? And as a genuine son, to what father are his sons ever to him just a mere worm?

     “How much less a mortal, who is but a maggot-- a human being, who is only a worm!" (Job 25:6).

     “But I am a worm and not a man, scorned by men and despised by the people.” (Psalm 22:6)