Monday Reflection – January 04, 2021

Monday Reflection – January 04, 2021

Living in the Fear of the Lord

Oh, that their hearts would be inclined to fear me and keep all my commands always, so that it might go well with them and their children forever! Deuteronomy 5:29

In Deuteronomy, Moses speaks to the children of Israel. They were near the end of a long journey. For almost 40 years they had been wandering about in the desert on their way to the promised land. He is preparing them for his departure and for their entry into the promised land – telling them how they are to live as God’s covenant people. If there is one thing that Moses wants to impress upon them, it is that they are to fear the Lord. He mentions this many times. Hear him in chapter 10:12: “And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God require of you, but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all His ways and to love Him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul”.

God desires that we demonstrate an attitude of fear for Him. When we think of fear, we associate the word with terror. However, fear of the lord is about reverence or awe. When we truly fear the Lord, we recognize that He is the Creator, and we are the creatures. He is the Master, and we are the servants. He is the Father, and we are the children. This attitude will manifest itself in our having a respect for God, and in our having a desire to do what He tells us to. The fear of the Lord is a deep-seated reverence for God that causes us to want to please Him at all costs. We desperately need to recover a sense of awe and reverence for God in our day. We must begin to view Him in the infinite majesty that belongs to Him who is the Creator and Supreme Sovereign of the universe.

We learn the fear of the Lord by studying His word. As we spend time in the word of God, we will gain a healthy degree of the fear of the Lord. Such a fear promotes holy living. The person who truly reverences and respects the Lord will not do anything that brings disgrace, dishonour, or pain to the heart of the Lord. People who genuinely fear the Lord will flee from evil. Based on today’s Watchword, those who fear the Lord can be guaranteed tremendous blessings. The person who lives in the fear of God will be a satisfied person. Our needs are met and we enjoy the pleasure of his presence and experience the satisfaction of walking with Him.

As we embark on a new year, may we march forward living in the fear of the Lord. This will guarantee us abundant life in the here and now and eternal life in the next. Solomon sums it up beautifully in Ecclesiastes 12:13: “Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the duty of all mankind.”

Postlude
I leave you with the usual New Year thought that I have found ever renewing at the start of each new year:
I said to the man who stood at the gate of the year, “Give me a light so that I may walk safely into the unknown.” He replied, “Go your way and place your hand into the hand of God.  That will be to you better than light and safer than a known way.”

Happy New Year everybody!

Jermaine Gibson