Jesus said - If you Love Me

Psalm 34:1-11

“I will bless the Lord at all times; his praise shall continually be in my mouth.   My soul makes its boast in the Lord; let the humble hear and be glad.  Oh, magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt his name together!  I sought the Lord, and he answered me and delivered me from all my fears.
Those who look to him are radiant, and their faces shall never be ashamed.
This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him and saved him out of all his troubles. The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him and delivers them. Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good! Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him!  Oh, fear the Lord, you his saints, for those who fear him have no lack!  The young lions suffer want and hunger, but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing.  Come, O children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the Lord.”

Many translations have this to say about this Psalm, “Of David when he feigned madness before Abimelech so that he drove him out, and he went away. I will bless the Lord at all times; his praise shall continually be in my mouth.”  As we work down to verses eight, nine, and eleven, we see the word fear associated with the phrase “fear God.”   In verse four, David is talking about his fears, and I learned fear at a young age and began to have many fears as I grew up.  After asking Christ into my life, fear still ruled my life, and as I learned more about the Character of God, I also learned He taught all of us not to fear man and not to trust in self.  I’ve learned and sometimes relearned that God is faithful in all His ways, and He forgives slow learners.  I’ve also learned that He is not my buddy, He is God, and I’m not on par with Him, His ways and thoughts are so much higher than my weak little mind.

But what about those verses I referred to above, on the fear of God, do you fear God?  What do you mean by that, I ask that question of my Pastor Ray Still, and this was his reply.  “To me, it is to revere and respect Him as God.  Remember, my place is not in His role.”  I love and respect my Pastor, and seek his counsel, but I also know God requires me to search His word for answers to my questions.  As I was preparing to send this paper, I always read it one more, and I got this insight.  I loved and respect my dad, but I also had a healthy fear of breaking his rules, for when I did it always brought discipline.   So the following are words from the Scriptures, and first is Deuteronomy 10:12-13.  “And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God require 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, and to keep the commandments and statutes of the Lord, which I am commanding you today for your good?  We have these words from Jesus, in John 14:15,  “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.”  When my wife asks me to do something for her, and I say sure, but do not do it, that is not showing love.  Often, I treat Jesus in the same way, and my take away from this is my words of love are empty.

The great Prophet Isaiah voiced the following in Isaiah 8:13, “But the Lord of hosts, him you shall honor as holy. Let him be your fear and let him be your dread.”  Solomon in Ecclesiastes 12:13, “Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the duty of all mankind.”  Those are the words of the smartest man born of earthly parents.  I hope this has been fruitful but let's allow the apostle Peter to conclude this thought to all who follow Jesus.  In 1 Peter 2:17, “Since you call on a Father who judges each person’s work impartially, live out your time as foreigners here in reverent fear.”  And 2 Peter 2:17, “Honor everyone. Love the brotherhood. Fear God, Honor the emperor.”  Note: (in our case that would mean President of the USA.)

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice