You can fear GOD. Or you can fear everything else.
Solomon’s search for meaning led him to this conclusion: Fear GOD and keep His commandments for this is the whole of man.
The word fear is translated from the Hebrew term yare. This term means revere, respect, etc. So Solomon’s conclusion was two-fold. We are to revere GOD and obey Him. One is an attitude and one is an action. This is in keeping with what is found in John 4:24 – GOD is Spirit and those who worship Him must worship Him in spirit and truth. Spirit is the attitude and truth is the action. For our thoughts today let us consider the attitude.
To fear GOD. Fear should develop into respect. Think about how the fear of an earthly father should morph into respect. As a young child, fear of a father might be a healthy caution of consequences. But as we grow older it is not the fear of physical or even emotional consequences that govern our behavior toward our fathers. But if the relationship is what GOD intends there will always be the respect given.
This is what we read in Hebrews 12: 9, “Furthermore, we have had human fathers who corrected us and we paid them respect.”
The older I get the more I appreciate this thought. But as much as I respect and revere my GOD, there will always be the fear factor. I love Him but I am afraid of Him. I hope to live my life through Christ so that I can be treated as an adopted son and hopefully have nothing to fear. But as long as I live I fear Him.
Now I’d like to consider another blessing of fearing GOD. Living for GOD, respecting Him, means I don’t have to fear all the other stuff. I don’t want to live my life in fear of what might happen.
What if the economy collapses?
What if the US were to fail?
What if Korea or Iran or China launches the missile?
What if?
What if?
If I am a faithful child of GOD, the best is yet to come. Paul said “For me to live is Christ and to die is gain.” Philippians 1:21 That sounds like a win-win to me.
Think about it….
No tears in heaven….
No more pain….
No more regrets….
No more anxieties….
Romans 8:31 reads, “What shall we say then to these things? If GOD is for us, who can be against us?”
I remember once attending a gathering of spiritual leaders when the fire alarm went off. The speaker very calmly said “Well we hope that is just a false alarm; but if not I’ll see you over there shortly.” As a faithful Christian this is how we live. We enjoy the here and now but we realize the best is yet to come.
If I fear GOD I have nothing else to fear. Seems like a pretty easy choice to me.