We are living in a world where people live to please themselves and those around them. They fear other fellow human beings more than their own Creator. Churches too, sometimes neglect or avoid preaching about the fear of the Lord in the hope of not offending congregation members or securing an audience, forgetting that the goal of the church is faithfulness to God, not crowd appealing. William Gurnall says,
“We fear men so much because we fear God so little”.
But the Bible clearly teaches the importance of the fear of the Lord. The Psalmist says,
“But the eyes of the Lord are on those who fear him, on those whose hope is in his unfailing love"
(Psalms 33:18).
Our thought for reflection this Tuesday morning is, “Our God is pleased with those who fear Him”.
“Do not lay a hand on the boy,” he said, “Do not do anything to him. Now I know that you fear God, because you have not withheld from me your son, your only son”
(Genesis 22:12).
Is it not true that when we fear God, we have nothing else to fear? There are more than three hundred references in the Old Testament that speak of the fear of the Lord. The first mention of the fear of the Lord in the Hebrew Bible is in Genesis 22:12. Abraham’s attempt to sacrifice his son, as per God’s command, confirms his faithful obedience to God. Recognizing Abraham’s faithful obedience, God said, “Now I know that you fear God”. Thus, in the context of Genesis chapter 22, fear of the Lord can mean two things:
1. Fear of the Lord is man’spositive response to God’s call todo His will.
God’s command to Abraham to sacrifice his only begotten son Isaac was a test of his willingness to do God’s will at any cost. And when God saw that Abraham was willing to do that, He concluded that Abraham feared Him. Abraham’s willingness to obey God, even though it meant losing his own son, was a proof of his fear for God. Thus our positive or negative response to the will of God is a clear reflection of whether we fear God or not. Do we fear God by doing only His perfect will in our lives?
2. Fear of the Lord is man’s perfect reliance or trust in God.
According to Hebrews 11,
Abraham’s fear of God was an act of trust or faith in God that God would give Isaac back to him even if he sacrificed him. “By faith, Abraham, when God tested him, offered Isaac as a sacrifice”
(Hebrews 11:17).
“Abraham reasoned that God could raise the dead, and that God could raise the dead, and figuratively speaking, he did receive Isaac back from death”
(Hebrew 11:19).
Given our current situations and circumstances are we ready to fear God by perfectly relying on Him or trusting in Him?
William Anderson says,
“The fear of the Lord is reverential trust and hatred of evil and there you have the whole thing”.
God’s call to each one of us this morning is to fear Him by totally trusting in Him and surrendering ourselves to do only His perfect will in our lives. May we fear God today and our actions, choices and decisions be in accordance with God’s perfect will! May our actions, thoughts and decisions reflect our perfect trust in Him for, that alone will be pleasing in God’s sight!
Have a Blessed Day!