Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.
Memory of the Month:Proverbs 15:1-A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.
Today's reading: JEREMIAH 1-2 1 TIMOTHY 3
Stake a Claim
Jeremiah 2:19 says: 19 Your wickedness will bring its own punishment.
"Your turning from me will shame you.
You will see what an evil, bitter thing it is
to abandon the Lord your God and not to fear him.
I, the Lord, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, have spoken!"
Jeremiah 2:19 New Living Translation
A bitter thing-not to fear God? How far we have come from the truth in this day of saying that fearing God is having a great respect for Him and stopping there. The problem is- is that we really don't stop there. We continue to digress. When we water down the 'fear of God' to respect, it becomes a very 'thin' term.
Isaiah 11: 2 And the spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD.
3 And his delight shall be in the fear of the LORD;
Delight is realizing the passion in fearing God.
1 John 4:18 There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love.
It is impossible to realize the real meaning of 'fear the Lord' without loving God-without finding the delight in loving God.
The fear of God is not the intimidation of the powerful we know on this earth. There is no love in this 'fear'.
Looking at what Paul says in 1 Timothy 2:10 as he speaks directly to women:
10 "Instead, as is fitting, let good works decorate your true beauty and show that you are a woman who claims reverence for God."
This is not some who verbally 'claim' devotion but one who 'stakes a claim' to reverence. One who sets their heart and mind on a life of reverence is one who has chosen to live a life loving God-revering God-being in awe of His endless power, yes, but living in passionate awe of His mercy and grace and ever enduring love.
The New Testament uses the Greek word for fear and horror because that is simply the Greek word for fear. The Hebrews used a word that implies 'shaking in your boots'.
God's love is so much greater than these shallow understandings based on syntax. Again, the Word of God must be brought to life-off the page-by the power of the Holy Spirit-in the passion of the Holy Spirit. We must 'stake claim' to this passion, this desire, and pray God explodes our understanding of passionate fear for Him. It is respect but ultimately more because God is our ultimate in all things.
God's perfect love is gentle and quiet but to the simple human mind and heart it is beyond words. God's gentle but complete love for us is bigger than all creation and it is 'mind-blowing'.
How can we water it down? How can we reduce it to words?
I can try to explain but to each person it is a totally different color and smell and feeling-it is to you what God unfolds as you sincerely seek His face. God will do this for each of us in the way He wants for us if we choose to claim it as He wants.
Stake a claim to the all-precious fear of God and He will open the door of His reality for you day by day and your eyes will be open to His amazing heart until one day you look back and realize how elementary is the word 'respect' in reference to God's reality.
Yes, this is for you in Christ Jesus and so much more because my words are personal to me-God has a world of your own for you to never explain-but to experience in all His glory!
...because He loves us...
Father in heaven,
Forgive me for not falling in love with You-for not making this choice. Today I choose to make a claim to a life of seeking You with all I am.
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