Tuesday Reflection – July 16, 2019- FEAR GOD

by Linae Hendricks

Greetings friends,

FEAR GOD.

There are many times when as Christians we place more faith in the process than in the one who directs the process. We may even chose one aspect over another, thinking that this will bring more security for us. Today’s watchword challenged us to examine what drives our faith and points us to what truly matters. ‘Fear God’. For in many dreams and in many words there is emptiness. Rather, fear God. Ecc 5: 7

The watchword speaks to a specific situation. One in which the religious practice of the day was to place a lot of faith on dreams and long speeches. The person who is superstitious will place great value on dreams and may even adjust their lives accordingly. The verbose person, quick to make vows, will be contented in thinking that their long and articulate prayers are pleasing and acceptable to God. In both cases God is second place. We must be careful that we do not fall into the trap of placing God second to superstition or to self. When self is first, dreams and words are powerless to help us. It is not what we or others say or believe that matters most. It is not how we present ourselves before others and God that counts, it is how much we fear God.

To fear God is to be in awe of God, to give the respect, the honor to God that is due only to God. To fear God is to be in complete submission to God, realizing that our will and desire leads to bad choices, but God leads us constantly to what is best for us and those around us. Proverbs 9: 10 reminds us The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.Someone stated it this way ‘the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom and wisdom is to depart from evil’. God created us for this purpose because it in in fearing God that we are able to truly worship him with all our heart, soul, body and mind. Ecc 12: 13 -14 tells us that our complete duty is to fear God and obey his laws for God will bring all our actions into judgement, both good and bad. I urge you friends, do not put your trust in the things of the world, as beneficial as they may seem. Do not trust in popular religion, attractive though it may be. Rather keep your faith in God intact and depend on God only.Trust nothing and no one more than you trust God. In all that we do let us remember first and foremost to fear God. Amen.
Bevon White