“Fear”
May-4-2022
I have no doubt that fear is used to control, to motivate ( but is the worse way to do so). `Fear is often an emotion not founded on truth, we experience that with Covid.
Also is used by all kinds of people to get you to spend your hard-earned money. I believe the United State was founded on principles based on the teaching in the Scriptures, yet is being destroyed by people with no fear of God, and the only time they read the Word of God is when they are running for a political office, or it fits their evil desires.
Shall we explore Fear, from heaven's view?
In the Psalm the first time we see fear is chapter 2:11, “Serve the Lord with fear and rejoice with trembling.” My friends review this paper: with this comment: (One thing I would stress is that fear in all of these contexts is “reverent awe” of God which leads to obedience. So many have been desensitized to “fear” because of the worldly portrayals of fear. Worldly fear does not lead to reverent awe, and won’t lead to worship and obedience.)
In chapter 5:7, we see King David with this insight; “But I, through the abundance of your steadfast love, will enter your house. I will bow down toward your holy temple in the fear of you.” My thoughts: If you are going to be a Giant killer you need to know the source of your strength. David had learned that as a young boy by keeping his dad's sheep and killing the lion and the bear.
Chapter 9:20, “Put them in fear, O Lord! Let the nations know that they are but men!” Selah
Note: the Scripture is clear that Jesus is going to Judge the Nations: You might want to read Matthew 25:31-46. As we take this overview of fear in Psalm you who are in the right relationship with the Lord, will want to see this question in 11:3, “if the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do?” The answer is simple they will take refuge in the Lord.
In Chapter 19:7-11, David is sharing with us the holiness and perfection of our great and holy God. Verse 7 the Law of the Lord is perfect and a wise person will run to them. The testimony of the Lord is sure, true 100? His percepts will encourage the heart. It is the commandment of the Lord is pure, and “the fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever; the rules of the Lord are true, and righteous altogether.” it is not based on the world’s concepts of feat, that is found in verse 9.
Psalm 22:23, “You who fear the Lord, praise him! All you offspring of Jacob, glorify him and stand in awe of him, all you offspring of Israel!” Fear without reverence is a worldly fear, but fear with reverence brings about praise and a heart's desire to bring glory, to stand in awe of Him.
Psalm 23:4, “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,[ I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.”
When you see a shadow of yourself in the moonlight, it is a reflection of the real thing. When one sees the shadow of death, it may be cancer, heart attack, or lung failure, but if it is not the time God has set for you, it is not luck, it is only a shadow, for each of us God set a time to die. But let me be clear, if you have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ it is the real thing, you will be in His presence and you will not desire anything but Him. If you have the Spirit of Christ living in you. Romans 8:9, “You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact, the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him.”
As one who has sinned greatly as a youth and even into my adult life, Psalm 25, has become my desire and prayer. I would encourage all to read it, but not just read apply it to each day, ponder on verses 4-5, “Make me to know your ways, O Lord teach me your paths. Lead me in your truth and teach me, for you are the God of my salvation; for you, I wait all the day long.” You may be thing what does that have to do with fear, God has answered that question in verses 12-14, “Who is the man who fears the Lord? “He will he instruct in the way that he should choose. His soul shall abide in well-being, and his offspring shall inherit the land. The friendship[a] of the Lord is for those who fear him, and he makes known to them his covenant.
Has God told all the inhabitance of the earth to fear Him? Psalm 33:8, “Let all the earth fear the Lord; let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him!” Why should they do so, because He is God is a simple answer, but Romans1:18-22, is very clear about why all should do so.
We also find that God’s favor is on those who fear Him; in chapter 33:18-19, “Behold, the eye of the Lord is on those who fear him, on those who hope in his steadfast love, that he may deliver their soul from death and keep them alive in famine.”
We live in a time of all kinds of services to protect your credit cards, your money, and even the title to your house. Did you have any understanding that God has a protection plan that accedes anything a man can do? You will find information on this in Psalm 34:7, “The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him, and delivers them.” In the verses that follow look at verses 9 and 11; verse 9, “Oh, fear the Lord, you his saints, for those who fear him have no lack!” And this is verse 11, “Come, O children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the Lord.”
My heart’s desire is to awaken the Church to the fear of the Lord, to not look to man but to Jesus, for in Christ all is possible. Also, you may need to return to the Scripture, and ponder on 1 Corinthians 7:21-25. Key “you were bought at a price, it was not anything you could do, it requires God taking on the form of a man, a taking your place, your sins and Jesus did that because of His love for you. I often check myself with 2 Corinthians 13:5, “Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you—unless, of course, you fail the test?” Paul is talking to fellow believers in Jesus, and often they got off track, much like you and me. They have a relationship with God, through faith in Jesus, and by the grace, God has given. That cannot be broken, but fellowship with the Lord often is broken, by our willful sins. But we have I believe many who go by the title Christian, that know a lot about Jesus, but by faith through grace have not entered into a relationship with Him. For many years I was a Baptist, but one night in a hotel room I open the Bible and read Romans 10:9-10, and by the faith and grace God gave me I enter into Christ and He enter into me.
From the Back Porch,
Bob Rice
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