Tuesday, May 19, 2009

Fear: Good vs Bad, Right vs Wrong

I do believe this is the shortest post I've written about our study on An Untroubled Heart. I'm not quit sure why I have the least to say about this topic. Well, I guess technically, the shortest post was for chapter five as I mentioned here why I didn't write the first word on it. So, chapter five is the winner. Yay! You better drink fast because it won't take you a whole cup of coffee as you read this one.
Healthy fear can motivate us to respecting, obeying and doing right. "To have godly fear means to revere and hold God in awe, not offending Him with sin. Reverential fear is a noble and healthy fear of God's greatness and holiness. It's a type of fear that respects the Lord and His ways much like the fear that alerts us to respect danger." Offending Him...that word strikes me differently today. Sinning is something we do wrong. Something that we should not do. But to think of sinning as an offense to God. Wow. To know that something I do would offend God. It puts sin in a new perspective. To know it's not just something we shouldn't do and something that is wrong, but rather even deeper, it is something that offends the Almighty One. Nope. I sure don't want to offend the Father. I'm not sure why I'm seeing this word in a new light...sin in a new light....a new perspective of the gravity of sin.
Healthy fear works for us and leads to freedom. Unhealthy fear works against us and leads to bondage and confinement. For now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son from Me. Genesis 22:12 Abraham...the father of faith...the father of trust...the father of obedience. What an awesome example. As mentioned previously here, he is one of my faves. I'd put him in my fave fives.
God didn't want to take Isaac. He wanted to give Abraham the freedom of a fully surrendered heart and life. He fulfills the desires of those who fear Him; He hears their cry and saves them. Psalm 145:19 Just as Abraham respected and revered God the Father, so did Isaac revere his father, Abraham. It's so apparent that not only was Abraham an obedient child of God but he also instilled that into his own child. There's no better desire than to exemplify the same godly fear that Abraham and Isaac showed.
When we fear God, we respect God.
When we fear God, we honor God.
When we fear God, we obey God.
"We show honor to God by displaying reverential esteem for others." I admit I've too many a time acted the exact opposite. Unfortunately I did not realize, as I was disrespecting my beloved, greater than that, I was hugely disrespecting my God. A much bigger offense!!
The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; all who follow His precepts have good understanding. Psalm 111:10 I now see during that time I had lost my reverential fear of God. I had blinded myself to His love. I couldn't see how the sin of my tongue and actions was an affront against God.
Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest, and repent. Revelations 3:19
Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and depart from evil. Proverbs 3:7 "When we depart from evil, He is always willing to receive us no matter how far we have roamed."
Thank God for that!!
Fearing and Revering God,

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11 comments:

Pam said...

"God didn't want to take Isaac. He wanted to give Abraham the freedom of a fully surrendered heart and life."

you have no idea how this spoke to me, remember i told you i had written another post, but not posted it yet. wait til you see it!

i think this is what God is saying about our ex's. he doesn't want to take them away from us, he wants to give us the freedom of a fully surrendered heart & life to him!! another confirmation! thanks!

andi said...

Great!!! I so often fear the consequence and forget I have disobeyed my heavenly father!!!! As you mentioned in the first part, a holy fear. It reminds me of the Lion, the Witch, and the wardrobe:
of Aslyn they asked: Is he safe.
They replied: no he is not. BUT HE IS GOOD!

Tammy said...

Great thoughts with few words.

"Sin" took on a whole new meaning for me when a pastor once said "That when the thought of sin enters your mind, you have a choice to act on it or refuse it".
Boy, it was at that moment I knew what it meant to walk in victory!

love and hugs~Tammy

Heidi said...

I love your blog title. I have to remind myself of this all the time. You have a lot of really good thoughts in here.

Visit me sometime and leave me a message. I'm new.

Heidi

Lelia Chealey said...

This is something I am really trying to do consistently. I do want to honor, obey and respect Him and He knows I don't want to offend Him. I never thought of it in that way until I read this chapter.
You're a blessing Paula, thanks for sharing your heart.

On Purpose said...

You are in my mind and heart and so I am praying for you!

Nicole said...

Thanks for sharing the difference between two kinds of fear. It spoke to me today. I too want to honor Him!

Love in Him,
Nicole

Sharon said...

Well written with fewer words, and with that the tear still falls down my cheek, I always want to honor him, it's so amazing that he just will forgive us, and have us continue on. That he still loves us no matter what.
This spoke too my heart Paula, so glad I had time today to get my Paula fix. I will ponder this message the entire weekend.

Have a blessed and fun weekend!

Shauna said...

Hope you have a super weekend!
♥ HUGS ♥

Yolanda said...

Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and depart from evil. Proverbs 3:7

Every time I read this scripture Paula, I get humbled mighty quick.

Love to you,
Yolanda

valerie said...

Great post Paula.

How are you liking your new home?
I think of you often. Hope you're doing well.

Love,
Valerie