Job 13:15
I'm thinking about fear again today. But it's a whole nother (tmesis alert!) kind of fear than what my poor dog is suffering from. Which makes me think, yet again, that the English language is not always the best for communicating. Because while I love my husband, and I love peanut butter & chocolate ice cream, I do not feel exactly the same about them... Do you know that in the Netherlands they have one word for pouring something dry, and another word for pouring a liquid? And the Germans, would you believe, have a word for "linking arms with the people on either side of you, and swaying in time to the music." We need a word for that here in America, don't we?
So today, I'm thinking about fear, but it's the good fear. So it ought to have a different name. The word "fear" comes from a word that means "fright", but also means "revere". And this is the fear we should have. Fear of God. I know there was a time in my life when I struggled to understand why I should be scared of God. Because He's all about compassion (Psalm 116:5), and He created sheep (Ezekiel 34:31) and He loves the little children (Matthew 19:14). But He's also awesome, and mighty, and powerful. If you don't know why you should fear God, then you should read the Old Testament. And Revelation.
But when you're done reading all that, then come back to this verse in Job, which perfectly sums up the relationship that God's children should have in Him. Reverence and awe in His power, but also faith and trust in His love. Or as I once heard it, "Look up in awe, and look out for judgement". If we properly fear Him, then indeed we have nothing to fear.
~ Where there is reverence, there is fear ~
Socrates
No comments:
Post a Comment