Fear vs. Fear
"Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised." Proverbs 31: 30
As I'm going throughout my week and having daily quiet times, certain themes tend to repeat themselves over and over. This week, that theme has been the fear of the Lord. It has come up multiple times in my devotionals and in my bible reading. It is often regarded as something to really strive for. God lifts up and blesses the people who live with a fear of Him.
Psalm 25:12-14 "Who, then, are those who fear the Lord? He will instruct them in the ways they should choose. They will spend their days in prosperity and their descendants will inherit the land. The Lord confides in those who fear him; he makes his covenant known to them."
I'll be honest; I never really liked the term "Fear of the Lord." I cannot fully explain why, but I do know that the term has kind of been swept under the rug for most of my life. I always thought that yes, some people do have very good reason to be terrified of what God can do. This comes from the notion that God is Just and God is all-powerful. The bible makes it VERY clear that those who do not follow Christ will experience the full wrath of God. Deuteronomy 6: 13-15 says "Fear the Lord your God, serve Him only and take your oaths in his name. Do not follow other gods, the gods of the peoples around you; For the Lord your God is a jealous God and his anger will burn against you and he will destroy you from the face of the land." Luke 12:5 says "But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear him who, after killing the body, has the power to throw you into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him." WHOA - I don't know about you, but I would be TERRIFIED of that. On the other hand, as Christians we have freedom in knowing that God is using his omnipotence for the GOOD of those who love him (Romans 8:28). God wants to give us hope and a future (Jeremiah 29:11).
While God does love us and wants the best for us, I now think the term "Fear of the Lord" is taken far too lightly in most Christian circles. It is not just a respect for what God can do. There should definitely be a fear of getting what we deserve. As it says in one of my very favorite songs, "You give and take a way." God has just as much power to take away blessings, as he has to give them. He controls the universe and he has every power to do terrible things that can harm us. The idea that saves us from that and gives us the ability to live in His overwhelming joy is that HE LOVES US! Living in Fear of the Lord means recognizing that God has the power to take away all that he has given. He has the power to destroy us.
"The Lord delights in those who fear him, who put their hope in his unfailing love." Psalm 147:11
A true fear of the Lord gives us no choice but to put all of our hope and trust in HIM! But what about the verse that says "For God did not give us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of self-control" (2 Timothy 1:7). This is a different kind of fear. This is a fear of the world. This is a fear of our circumstances being too much for us to handle. This is a fear that God is not in control. A true fear of the Lord drives out that other kind of fear.
I started reading a book by Debbie Alsdorf called "A Woman who Trusts in God- Finding the Peace you long for." The book starts out by talking about the meantime. How do you live in the meantime between a prayer and its answer? Do you live in fear of the world? That causes stress and worry. Or do you live in the fear of the Lord with the knowledge that he LOVES you and has a plan far greater than anything we could ever imagine? That brings peace and an overwhelming, all-consuming joy.
For if we have the fear of the Lord, past being truly fearful of what He is capable of, if forces us to recognize that He is in control and he wants the best for us. There would be no joy if not for that fact. God is all powerful, yes, but He is also all loving. "Perfect love drives out fear"(1 John 4:18). Psalm 27:1 says "The Lord is my light and my salvation- whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life, of whom shall I be afraid?" In striving to become the woman that God wants me to be, a true fear of the Lord is something to understand and seek.
Summed up perfectly: Deuteronomy 10:12 "And now, O Israel, what does the Lord your God ask of you but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all his ways, to love him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul."
As I'm going throughout my week and having daily quiet times, certain themes tend to repeat themselves over and over. This week, that theme has been the fear of the Lord. It has come up multiple times in my devotionals and in my bible reading. It is often regarded as something to really strive for. God lifts up and blesses the people who live with a fear of Him.
Psalm 25:12-14 "Who, then, are those who fear the Lord? He will instruct them in the ways they should choose. They will spend their days in prosperity and their descendants will inherit the land. The Lord confides in those who fear him; he makes his covenant known to them."
I'll be honest; I never really liked the term "Fear of the Lord." I cannot fully explain why, but I do know that the term has kind of been swept under the rug for most of my life. I always thought that yes, some people do have very good reason to be terrified of what God can do. This comes from the notion that God is Just and God is all-powerful. The bible makes it VERY clear that those who do not follow Christ will experience the full wrath of God. Deuteronomy 6: 13-15 says "Fear the Lord your God, serve Him only and take your oaths in his name. Do not follow other gods, the gods of the peoples around you; For the Lord your God is a jealous God and his anger will burn against you and he will destroy you from the face of the land." Luke 12:5 says "But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear him who, after killing the body, has the power to throw you into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him." WHOA - I don't know about you, but I would be TERRIFIED of that. On the other hand, as Christians we have freedom in knowing that God is using his omnipotence for the GOOD of those who love him (Romans 8:28). God wants to give us hope and a future (Jeremiah 29:11).
While God does love us and wants the best for us, I now think the term "Fear of the Lord" is taken far too lightly in most Christian circles. It is not just a respect for what God can do. There should definitely be a fear of getting what we deserve. As it says in one of my very favorite songs, "You give and take a way." God has just as much power to take away blessings, as he has to give them. He controls the universe and he has every power to do terrible things that can harm us. The idea that saves us from that and gives us the ability to live in His overwhelming joy is that HE LOVES US! Living in Fear of the Lord means recognizing that God has the power to take away all that he has given. He has the power to destroy us.
Fear of the Lord understands, recognizes, and reacts to the full weight of that reality. He has the unquestionable power to give us exactly what we deserve.
With all that in mind, fear of the Lord also produces thankfulness for what we do have and gives us the mindset that it could all disappear at any second."The Lord delights in those who fear him, who put their hope in his unfailing love." Psalm 147:11
A true fear of the Lord gives us no choice but to put all of our hope and trust in HIM! But what about the verse that says "For God did not give us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of self-control" (2 Timothy 1:7). This is a different kind of fear. This is a fear of the world. This is a fear of our circumstances being too much for us to handle. This is a fear that God is not in control. A true fear of the Lord drives out that other kind of fear.
I started reading a book by Debbie Alsdorf called "A Woman who Trusts in God- Finding the Peace you long for." The book starts out by talking about the meantime. How do you live in the meantime between a prayer and its answer? Do you live in fear of the world? That causes stress and worry. Or do you live in the fear of the Lord with the knowledge that he LOVES you and has a plan far greater than anything we could ever imagine? That brings peace and an overwhelming, all-consuming joy.
For if we have the fear of the Lord, past being truly fearful of what He is capable of, if forces us to recognize that He is in control and he wants the best for us. There would be no joy if not for that fact. God is all powerful, yes, but He is also all loving. "Perfect love drives out fear"(1 John 4:18). Psalm 27:1 says "The Lord is my light and my salvation- whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life, of whom shall I be afraid?" In striving to become the woman that God wants me to be, a true fear of the Lord is something to understand and seek.
Our circumstances, our enemies, and our sin have no power over us anymore. Refuse to worry because the all-powerful God of the universe loves you. How's that for freedom? Fear of the world = bondage to worry. Fear of the Lord = Freedom and Joy.
Summed up perfectly: Deuteronomy 10:12 "And now, O Israel, what does the Lord your God ask of you but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all his ways, to love him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul."
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