God Who Is To Be Feared
"Be sure to fear the LORD and serve him faithfully with all your heart; consider what great things he has done for you." (1 Samuel 12:24 NIV)
"So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand." (Isaiah 41:10 NIV)
Awhile back, my teenager asked me, "What does it mean in the Bible when it says I am 'fearfully and wonderfully made'?" (Psalm 139:14).
I understood her confusion. After all, fear in the Bible is both prescribed and proscribed. It is encouraged and discouraged. It is required and restricted.
After some hemming and hawing, I told my daughter that fear as it is used in Scripture often refers to awe, respect, and reverence. It can mean to hold something in proper esteem. The fact that I am "fearfully made" tells me God formed me with respect for His own creation...that He had reverence for the important work He was doing...that He gave value to my life...that He was deliberate and careful.
When God says, "Do not fear," He is telling us not to give something our respect, our awe, our reverence. When He tells us to fear Himself, He is telling us to give that respect, awe, and reverence to Him.
Do not fear shaky ground: fear the Stability of Your Times. Do not fear the enemy; fear the Lord of Heaven's Armies. Do not fear death; fear the Way, the Truth, and the Life. Do not fear the unknown; fear the God Who Knows.
There is misplaced fear, and there is well-placed fear.
Misplaced fear is fear that binds. It enslaves us. It ties us up. It limits us. It clenches our fists.
Oh, but well-placed fear is fear that frees. It releases us. It loosens our knots. It opens our hands so we can lift them in worship to the God we reverence...the God who made us "fearfully and wonderfully," on purpose, for a purpose.
Awhile back, my teenager asked me, "What does it mean in the Bible when it says I am 'fearfully and wonderfully made'?" (Psalm 139:14).
I understood her confusion. After all, fear in the Bible is both prescribed and proscribed. It is encouraged and discouraged. It is required and restricted.
After some hemming and hawing, I told my daughter that fear as it is used in Scripture often refers to awe, respect, and reverence. It can mean to hold something in proper esteem. The fact that I am "fearfully made" tells me God formed me with respect for His own creation...that He had reverence for the important work He was doing...that He gave value to my life...that He was deliberate and careful.
When God says, "Do not fear," He is telling us not to give something our respect, our awe, our reverence. When He tells us to fear Himself, He is telling us to give that respect, awe, and reverence to Him.
Do not fear shaky ground: fear the Stability of Your Times. Do not fear the enemy; fear the Lord of Heaven's Armies. Do not fear death; fear the Way, the Truth, and the Life. Do not fear the unknown; fear the God Who Knows.
There is misplaced fear, and there is well-placed fear.
Misplaced fear is fear that binds. It enslaves us. It ties us up. It limits us. It clenches our fists.
Oh, but well-placed fear is fear that frees. It releases us. It loosens our knots. It opens our hands so we can lift them in worship to the God we reverence...the God who made us "fearfully and wonderfully," on purpose, for a purpose.
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I'd love to hear from you! Feel free to tell me what you really think. Years ago, I explained to my then-two-year-old that my appointment with a counselor was "sort of like going to a doctor who will help me be a better mommy." Without blinking, she replied, "You'd better go every day." All of which is just to say I've spent some time in the school of brutal honesty!