The most awesome thing happened this past Sunday in church. There is a lady that preaches at different times, and Sunday she said that she was going to talk about the fear of the Lord. What it is and what it isn't. Pastor was sitting a few chairs away from me and he bent over and looked at me and had the most amazing look on his face. I knew what that look meant because he and I had discussed this same thing a week or so before. So you better believe that I listened closely to what she said.
I was talking to the Lord one morning and I don't remember now what exactly I had said about him to him when he gave me Gal. 5 which I knew described the works of the flesh and the fruit of the spirit. And the Lord described himself to me. He is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and temperance. And this is how we should describe and introduce him to our children. He is all these things, at all times. He doesn't change. He is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow.
And then came the thought of having the fear of the Lord. What is the fear of the Lord? I was taught when I was younger that God is like this big angry being with a huge fly swatter that is just waiting for you to do something wrong so he can hit you with it. I was taught as many others were, that we had to be afraid of him and that this cloud of fear was always over us. How wrong all these teachings were! My poor children!! You'd better walk a straight line or else.
There are many scriptures that describe the fear of the Lord. It is the beginning of knowledge, Pro.1:7: Ps.111:10 says it's the beginning of wisdom, etc. Ps. 34:11-14 describes it beautifully. God is not mocked. What a person does will come back on him. If he does good, he will reap good. If he does evil, he will reap that same evil. God is no respecter of persons. He loves everyone the same. He has a plan for everyone that walks this planet, and he is not waiting for us to do something bad so he can punish us.
Now, he will correct us when we're going down the wrong path, and he says that in Pro.3:12, Heb.12:6-13. He is our Heavenly Father if we have accepted his son Jesus Christ as our Savior. And we can go to him always and talk to him about whatever is on our hearts Phil.4:6-7 and 1Pet.5:7. We can tell him anything and everything because he already knows our thoughts and feelings. He knows what we have need of before we say anything Mat.6:7-8. But he says to come and ask. Why? It's called communication and relationship! God wants a relationship with each one of us. He is a personal God. My relationship with him is not the same as someone else. Why? It's because we do not have the same personality, nor the same life as others. We are individuals.
Now, should we fear to do wrong? Absolutely. However, there is not one person on this earth that does not sin. 1 John 1:7-10. If we think, say, do something that isn't right or have a wrong attitude, the Holy Spirit will convict us in order to turn us around. The Lord didn't come to destroy us but to save us from ourselves! We are our own worst enemy even as Paul said in Romans chapter 7. He had the same problem that we do verses 14-25. But praise the Lord for Rom.8:1-2.
God is a just God. He does everything well. However, there is another side to him. No one can approach him if they don't have his son, Jesus Christ as Savior. Over and over, the Lord warns people in his word what to do and what not to do. Ps.119:109 says our soul is in our hands. I have heard people say that since God is love, he won't send them to hell. They're right. He won't. They will send themselves according to their own works. God made us a free moral agent. He will not override our will. Jesus didn't override Judas' will. When Judas kissed Jesus, Jesus called him friend. Why? Because he loved him still. In Jos.24:15, Joshua tells the people to choose whom they will serve. Deut.30:19 tells us to choose life. The Lord sets before us a choice even today. Choose whom you will serve.
The Lord wants no one to go to hell. Jesus came to show us the way and to bleed and die to cover our sins because God so loved the world that he sent his own begotten son John 3:16-17. God isn't willing for anyone to perish 2 Pet:3:9. I think that we sometimes have said and heard these verses said so many times that we forget the depth of their meaning. I pray that those that call themselves children of the Lord that we truly learn the meaning of the fear of the Lord and teach it to others. The real fear of the Lord allows us to come boldly before his throne of grace Heb.4:16.
The lady didn't use what I have said in her sermon, but she gave Ps.34:11-14 and others giving examples of the real fear of the Lord. I was so thankful to the Lord for her sermon! He has given it to two of us here, so I know others will receive the same revelation. He loves us so very much and wants us to know him intimately and not just about him! PTL!
Love, joy, and peace!
