Thursday Ponderings

23rd February 2012 Fear of the Lord

It is not popular or common in Christian circles to talk about the fear of the Lord. People much prefer to emphasis a loving, fluffy God who forgives everything. They tend to ignore the discipline side of God. In Acts 5, we have a chilling account of how God deals with two Christians who lie. Basically they drop dead. That is how seriously God takes sin and we would do well to remember that on a daily basis.

We are all in the land of the enemy and are subject to his attacks in spirit soul and body, but God says, "Give no place to the Devil" Eph 4:27 That means that the devil cannot take a place in us if we do not let him. We open the way for him to come in if we sin the smallest sin in word, thought or deed and gives place for the devil to do us harm. I'm going to repeat that because it is very important. We open a way for the devil to come into our lives and attack us when we commit the smallest sin in word, in thought or in deed.

Another way we can let the devil in to attack us is to become apathetic, to become lazy in the amount of time we spend with God seeking his will. If you fit your quiet time in whilst you're eating your breakfast, or making your packed lunch do you expect anyone to believe that God is the most important thing in your life. Or if you get into bed last thing at night and read your bible for 20 minutes before putting out the light. That's not loving God.

If you love someone you spend lots of time with them, you hang around them as soon as they come in the door you stop watching your favourite TV prog in order to spend time with them. You get up an hour earlier in the morning to be in their prescence. You spend lunch with them. You spend time listening to them, asking them what their desires are? Your weekends are planned around them, so you can be together as much as possible. Does that sound like the time you spend with God?

1 Peter 5:8 -  be vigilant (watch all the time) because your adversary the devil walks about liking a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.'
Job 28:28 - And he said to the human race, "The fear of the Lord-that is wisdom, and to shun evil is understanding."
Psalm 33:8 - Let all the earth fear the LORD; let all the people of the world revere him. It's a choice! We choose to fear the Lord or to not fear the Lord
Proverbs 1:29 - since they hated knowledge and did not choose to fear the LORD.

How do fear the Lord in practice
Deuteronomy 6:2 - so that you, your children and their children after them may fear the LORD your God as long as you live by keeping all his decrees and commands that I give you, and so that you may enjoy long life.
Psalm 112:1 - Praise the LORD. Blessed are those who fear the LORD, who find great delight in his commands.
Psalm 128:1 - Blessed are all who fear the LORD, who walk in obedience to him
Psalm 34:11-14 Come, my children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the LORD. Whoever of you loves life and desires to see many good days, keep your tongue from evil and your lips from telling lies. Turn from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it.

Benefits of fearing the Lord

Psalm 112:1 - Praise the LORD. Blessed are those who fear the LORD, who find great delight in his commands.
Psalm 128:1 - Blessed are all who fear the LORD, who walk in obedience to him
Psalm 25:14 - The LORD confides in those who fear him; he makes his covenant known to them.
Psalm 34:7 - The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear him, and he delivers them.
Psalm 34:9 - Fear the LORD, you his holy people, for those who fear him lack nothing
Psalm 103:13 - As a father has compassion on his children, so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him;
Psalm 147:11 - the LORD delights in those who fear him, who put their hope in his unfailing love. It's hard work Proverbs 2 v 1-6 My son, if you accept my words and store up my commands within you, turning your ear to wisdom and applying your heart to understanding- indeed, if you call out for insight and cry aloud for understanding, and if you look for it as for silver and search for it as for hidden treasure, then you will understand the fear of the LORD and find the knowledge of God.

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