Poster Archive : JULY 2011
Message: Fear the Lord
Bible verse: "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom" (Psalm 111:10)
Ba Boom. Ba Boom. Ba Boom. My heart is beating loudly inside my chest. Meanwhile, the rest of my body is completely frozen.
I stare forward in terror, not daring to blink. Opposite me, the lion also stares. Its eyes glint in the African sun, holding my gaze. It’s so close that I can see every row of sharp, pointy teeth. Its muscles tense. Surely it’s about to strike!
Then it turns away, disappearing as fast as it arrived. I live to breathe another day.
Some things are just completely terrifying. Our senses overload with panic and confusion while our hearts race out of control. The mighty lion does this.
And the fear is justified! It’s wise to be afraid. The way the lion is made, its abilities and instincts, tell us that we should fear such a thing. If you ever stumble across one in the wild, the lion’s power over you is total. He can run you down and then, if he chooses, spare your life or take it in leisurely fashion.
Most people today will never meet a lion face to face. So you can probably put that fear right out of your mind unless you work in a zoo or a circus.
What about God though? Should we fear Him? In the busyness of life it’s easy to put God out of our minds. But is that wise?
The answer is a resounding “no”. The Bible says very clearly that: “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom”. We should be afraid of God. He’s very powerful. He invented the lion with his claws and teeth and, like the lion He made, He has power over our lives. Unlike the lion, He’s not confined to the Savannas of Africa. We will have to meet him one day.
Here’s the problem though: we’ve all failed to fear God properly. We’ve all disobeyed His will for our lives and rejected His claims on us. Which doesn’t bode well for our meeting with Him when we die!
Thankfully, God is not only fearful, but loving. He sent Jesus to make it possible for us to come close to Him. So if you’re afraid of meeting Him then ask Jesus for help. Jesus’s death on the cross pays for your sin so you can come close to God without experiencing His terrifying anger.
Why not start being wise today? Fear God and pray to Him for forgiveness.
Prayer: Dear God, I am sorry that I have not feared you despite your awesome power over my life. Please help me to fear you and know you. Amen
