Are You Afraid of God?

Have you ever heard that saying, "Fear of the Lord"? I used to think that type of fear meant being scared. If I'm supposed to be scared of the Lord, how can I trust someone I'm afraid of?

The recent killings in Paris have literally shaken the world up. These people are going around in all nations now, and killing in the name of their "god". Let me tell you right here and right now. God, the Father. The God of the Bible: Yawheh, Elohim, El Shaddai (just to list a few of His names), would never ask us to kill a human being for Him. He is about love. Not war. He doesn't require any sacrifices from us, He took care of that with His Son on the cross over 2,000 years ago. 

In a devotional I read this morning, Trillia Newbell put it into perspective for me.

John 4: 18-19 (ESV) says, "There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not be perfected in love. We love because He first loved us."

"The fear that John is referring to here is the wrath of God or final judgment."

Newbell said her fear of the Lord was not rooted in God's love for her as His beloved daughter. She approached Him as if the wrath that He poured out on His Son on her behalf was still reserved for her.

In Psalm 103:8, we read what God is really like, "The LORD is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love." (NIV)

"To fear the Lord is not be scared of Him. It's to adore Him. Worship Him. Honor Him. It's to put Him in the right place in our thinking. Our response to our Creator is rejoicing, gratitude, and reverential fear."

I pray that you will read this and know that the true God, would never ask us to kill anyone. The one true God loves. It's His place to judge, not a human being who wants to kill because they are judging the fact that others don't believe like they do. God is a God of peace. 

Let us stand firm, as Christians, knowing that God will watch over us. God will be with His people. Let us start praying again. Let us start living loudly for Him to tell others the Good News so that they will know the truth and stop believing in junk that tells them to kill.

Let us also be comforted as we mourn, as well as stand firm in God's truth and promises.

Hebrews 12: 28-29 says, "Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire." (ESV)

God's kingdom cannot be shaken! Let's pray for our enemies. Because if they come to know the one true God, they would stop all of the violence.

God bless you today and always.