Love And Fear

Wednesday, ‎March ‎22, ‎2023

Good morning, Lord

Verse of the Day: Then Paul answered, "What do you mean by weeping and breaking my heart? For I am ready not only to be bound, but also to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus." —Acts 21:13

Memory of the Month: 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

16 Rejoice always, 17 pray without ceasing, 18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

Today's reading: JOSHUA 10-12 LUKE 1:39-56

Love and Fear

I heard a speaker recently say that this generation has missed the fear of God. He said that they do not know this fear because they are not being taught correctly.

The world has started teaching that failure is not to be feared-eveyone gets a trophy? The sense of urgency is bleached slowly out of our young. On the other hand, insurance for failure in high education is sold for millions while our young fight for a spot at the top.

God teaches us love and obedience to Him so we are ready for the next life. The world teaches there is no God so this life is all there is and so you must succeed here.

Success in this world or total humility before God-two things that are pretty much opposites.

We have heard that fearing God is 'honoring Him'- true but shallow for me. To me, honoring someone is a picture of a soldier saluting a supierior and all that that would mean.

The picture of Moses 'honoring God' from several places in scripture is Moses on his face-on the ground-total humility. Moses pleaded for the lives of God's people. Jesus died for the souls of God's people.

Moses saw God's power all the time. He saw signs and wonders. He feared what God could do but He knew he had a chance to stand in the gap for them-that gap was in humility before God.

Joshua knew it.

For example, Joshua 10-12 tells the story of the Israelites conquering the ‘promised land’. At the end of Joshua 12 is a list of 31 kings that were conquered. These people were destroyed and the scripture makes it very clear that the Israelite army alone could not have done this.

The Lord stopped the sun for an entire day. Joshua 10:14 says, “…Surely the Lord was fighting for Israel”.

I believe people can hear of the awesome power of God and learn but I also think that we must learn who God is from scripture. Ps 111:10 -- The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and they who live by it grow in understanding.

To fear God-

Learn it-longingly

Live it-humbly

Teach it-endlessly

To hear hellfire preached was my childhood in church. The beginning of wisdom-- it was the start. To know we are lost is the beginning. Being afraid of being without God in eternal torture was the beginning for me.

We must progress from there quickly and grow as his children. But I believe that in the heart of every child of God is the fear of the most awesome power ever. We cannot deny its reality no more than we can deny the absolute need to move with that knowledge in our hearts into growth of the knowledge of our Lord’s love and protection and provision for us-and ever deepening our humility.

Yes, there is a great respect for God but there is also real fear of what He could do—knowing that there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, Romans 8:1. We have grown with the fear of God and will continue to grow in honoring and hallowing His name.

The love of God is so great for us and also the lost who face condemnation without Christ. They must hear. We must drop our fear of the world or the community and grasp the fear of God and do the work of the evangelist no longer fearing for our own souls but the souls of the lost.

Dwell not on the fear and condemnation…

… but on God’s love in Christ and His salvation for all.

18There is no fear in love, but perfect love drives out fear, because fear involves punishment. The one who fears has not been perfected in love. 19We love because He first loved us.…(1 John)

We are being perfected.

…because He loves us…

Father in Heaven,

Forgive me for fearing the world more than You.

Grow me in Your love as I learn more of Your power over all. Perfect me in Your love.

Great God of Mercy!!

In the name of Christ Jesus,

Amen