What
does it mean to fear the Lord? Do we quake in our boots, walk on eggshells,
adhere to a strict set of prohibitions, etc.?
Not at all. We fear God by giving Him the reverence, respect, and
adoration due to His name, regardless of our circumstances.
We
recognize that God is Almighty and there is no other like Him (Jeremiah 10:6).
As authentic Believers, we have no need to be afraid of God or His judgment. Of
course, He does discipline those who belong to Him, but that is only to keep us
safe.
Without
His correction, we would suffer trauma by reaping what we sow in our carnality,
immaturity and mistakes. We often hesitate to submit to the Lord. We want the
power to choose, and we revel in our ability to make our own decisions according
to our goal and desires.
However,
we this gives us no control over life, because only He has that power. Our true
freedom comes when we realize that our salvation, perfection and provision come
from our Father God. All the influence, wisdom, and authority in this world are
His.
We
reap the benefits of His grace. He is the chief Potter and we are simply a lump
of clay in His hands. Fear to trust in an unseen God is often the root of our
rebellion and lack of desire to fully surrender to God's Love. We think that we
are in control.
Yet,
nothing less than total commitment and trust in our Father God will allow us to
walk in the fruit of a blessed life that God has planned for us (Jeremiah
29:11). In Christ, we access His influence, insight, strength, peace and joy
regardless of our trials.
God
is not our magic Genie, created to do our bidding. If we want our own way, we
will be disappointed every time we pray. Yet, as we accept His will and way, we
find a deeper sense of peace, joy, love and fulfillment than we ever thought
possible on this side of Heaven.
Prayer:
Father
God, few people in modern society are willing to capitulate the authority over
their life to another being - especially one that they cannot see or hear, or
consider archaic and unnecessary. They see the example of so-called Christians
who flounder around in their life and suffer the consequences of their choices
just like they do, and they have no reason to trust in You.
Teach
us that our free will to choose comes from You, but it is our greatest
weakness. You give us both the desire and the power to walk out our own
salvation (Philippians 2:12-13). As Your divine possessions, we ultimately give
You control, just as You are in control of all of life in heaven and on earth,
and we live as a testimony to Your power in a human life.
Thought
for the Day:
We
often fear the idea of trusting in what God will require of us, or where He
will expect us to go; however, once we tire of insisting that we retain control
of our own life, we are amazed at how God uses us and what He provides for us
in order to accomplish His will for and through our life.
