New Year, New Fears

2025 sure hasn't started out quietly!  Between the wildfires, extreme weather, political turmoil, violence, and a whole host of other issues, I think the new year has stoked a lot of people's fears.  While excessive fears for our safety and well-being are not good for us, because we are not to live in constant fear of danger, there is a fear that is prescribed in the bible: "the fear of the Lord."  The fear of the Lord is mentioned a number of times in scripture as something important for us to have as believers.  That if we are to walk in faithful obedience to Him, we should fear Him.

Deuteronomy 6:13 says, "Fear the Lord your God, serve him only and take your oaths in his name."  Proverbs 1:7 says, "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline."  Proverbs 3:7-8 says, "Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and shun evil. This will bring health to your body and nourishment to your bones."

Some of these verses may be familiar to you.  "Fear of the Lord" was an important characteristic of the New Testament church in Acts.  As they grew to understand the holiness and greatness of God, they learned to revere, trust, worship, and obey Him.  But their response was not done in terror or fright of God.  For God's people, the "fear of the Lord" is not that if we say or do something wrong, God will lay His hand of punishment on us.  The real fear is that if we walk apart from Him, in disobedience to Him, He might distance Himself from us.  This is the scarier thing!  Dr. O.S. Hawkins puts it this way, "This is the fear of the Lord, not that He might put His hand of retribution on you, but that He might take His hand of blessing and anointing off of you."

Beloved, we want God to keep His hands on us.  We need to be in His hands.  As the potter molds the clay, we need Him to hold us, shape us, and guide us.  Let us walk then in the "fear of the Lord" and revere, trust, worship, and obey Him.

Take care,

Pastor Darren