February 4, 2012

“Fear and Life”

Scripture:

Exodus 20:20
“Don’t be afraid”, Moses said, “for God has come in this way to show you His awesome power.
From now on, let your fear of Him keep you from sinning!” (NLT)

Observation:

As we discover the unimaginable powers of energy that this vast universe is made up of, the more we should consider and understand the incredible power that our Creator, the LORD God Almighty possesses; which should give us even more reason to fear His awesome power than the Israelites, especially in these last days before He pours out the wrath of His anger upon this earth. But even more than fearing God’s incredible power that He will one day unleash against mankind, we need to fear the Lord’s final judgment.

Application:

Fear is a healthy emotion—one of the many unique characteristics that the Lord has given us so that we would be able to better prepare for and protect ourselves from those things that threaten both our physical and spiritual wellbeing. Anyone who claims to have no fear is either living dangerously in denial or is mentally unstable. We should use our God-given fear wisely, my friends, because the life of our eternal body and soul is what is truly at stake (Hebrews 12:28-29). Although we have a God who is all loving and kind and compassionate and merciful and gracious, we must also know that we have a Divine God of Justice (Deuteronomy 32:4). Since the beginning of time mankind has perverted and misused God’s justice to the point where there is none to be found this side of Heaven. God has tried to teach us His Law and the consequences for our disobedience, but the curse that sin brought into this world has made God’s justice so irrelevant in today’s life styles that it is now okay to sin, (if there is such a thing) because the world believes there are really no consequences beyond this life. Do not be duped by these lies of Satan, dear friends, because God’s justice is very real and His judgment will prevail. All those who refuse to fear the most powerful entity of the universe will, indeed, suffer the consequences that God’s eternal judgment will bare down upon them, and never again have an opportunity for redemption. Fear of the LORD Almighty is, without a doubt, the beginning of all wise decision making (Proverbs 9:10). Fearing God is a good emotion, and one that will not only save your eternal life, but will cause others to see and understand this life-saving truth that has been so deceitfully sugar coated, and so widely accepted, in order to mislead and destroy God’s people. Fear and life should always co-exist in peace, because it is our fear of God that brings us to the full glory of life.

Prayer:

It is impossible, O God, to understand the incredible power that is Yours. Thank You for the wisdom You have so graciously provided, so that we would learn what it is to fear Your Mighty Name. It keeps us in-check because without this healthy fear of You, O LORD, we would be helplessly foolish in our quest to live our own selfish way in this short life on earth. Thank You for the fear that saves!

Amen