August 21

Happy Tuesday. I hope your week started well—mine had lots of fun and laughing throughout the day with co-workers. We just enjoyed our time together. On Sunday, my daughter had told me about a co-worker she has that everyone fears. No one likes to see her coming around, in fact, she says they can just feel the atmosphere change when she walks in the room. 


That is NOT what the Psalmist is referring to in the Psalm of Ascent (128) when he tells us to fear God. Fearing God is the proper response for viewing Him in an accurate light: that He is all-knowing, all-powerful, ever-present, and both fully just and fully loving. Yet, we should feel the atmosphere change when the presence of the holy One enters the room. He is righteous and unapproachable by anyone who is not covered with the precious blood of Jesus. Not a single word He speaks will return void. Every promise He declares will come to pass. 


We can’t sneak anything by Him. He is not to be ignored or mocked or belittled. He is worthy of our respect and honor in both the position of our hearts and the decisions we make each day.

Fearing God protects us from falling prey to the many traps laid by the enemy. Proverbs 29:25 says “Fearing people is a dangerous trap, but trusting the Lord means safety.”

‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭29:25‬ ‭NLT‬‬


God is far above any and every human influence and no power can prevail against Him. To fear God does not mean cowering and hiding from Him. Far from it. Fearing God means that we follow Him in His ways, no matter what the cost is to us. It means we aren’t putting a label on God, defining Him as we want Him to be, but instead we allow who He is to affect every part of who we are. This means allowing Him to affect how we view ourselves, how we view others, the choices we make, the thoughts we entertain, and the words we speak. 


“How joyful are those who fear the Lord — all who follow his ways!”

‭‭Psalms‬ ‭128:1‬ ‭NLT‬‬


Lord God Almighty, the Holy One of Israel, we pray for your leading this day. Thank you for you presence in our lives and for your influence on every part of us. Change us Lord to be compassionate, slow to become angry, and abounding in love. Even though we may want to hold grudges at times, gift us with the ability to treat other people better than their behavior deserves them to be treated—help us to rise above the situation because you are with us. Help us to remember that you want to shine through us. Let us treat them with the deep kindness and love with which you have treated us. We ask you to forgive us when our attitudes have been less than they should have been. Walk with us this day and with those we love who are in pain. We love you and praise you Lord. Amen and amen. 


Love you dear friend,

Pam

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

January 17, 2020

Happy Friday. It’s the end of another week and we have had more opportunities to share the love of Christ with those around us and sometimes that takes quite a bit of effort. I don’t know about you, but I’m not always anxious to embrace others and really listen to them or share with them (especially those who I don’t know well). Sometimes, I just look at them and think “Are you for real?” I don’t always agree with people over politics, sports or of course, religion. And let’s face it, we’d rather spend time with people we like and mostly agree.  And then I read my Bible. God hasn’t called us to sit in our little groups with only those we naturally gravitate towards, but to love people—all people, even those who aren’t necessarily loveable. In this passage, Paul writing to the people of Colosse remarks on how wonderful it is that they truly love others. That love must have really been something over and above the normal and he tells them that it is evident that it comes from the Holy Sp
Read more

January 15, 2020

Happy Wednesday to you. I hope your week is going well. Yesterday, I went to Sams. I was out of things like trash bags, toilet paper, and chicken, so off I went. I like going to Sams because there is always lots to look at and the isles are nice and wide. Everytime I’m there, I am amazed at how much stuff and everything from diapers to TVs to mangos to beds. It just seems incredible that so many things in such quantities are all under one roof.  King David never saw a store with as much stuff aa Sams of course, but he did see countless miracles and understand that God has plans. He knew from creation and history that he was serving a God of miracles and he know that God loved him and his people and would take care of them. He was amazed and awe-struck by the fact that a God who had done such great and mighty things not only cared about his people but that He loved them with such a great love.  “Many, Lord my God, are the wonders you have done, the things you planned for us. None can co
Read more

January 9, 2020

It’s Thursday and I woke up to the blowing wind! Lots of it—I’m dreading Boomer waking up and having to go outside with him. That harsh, bitter wind seems cruel and almost evil. But I’ll wrap myself up with a fe layers and boots and brave it all.  Sometimes I think we try to do that with things we know aren’t right—things that are evil. We try to wrap ourselves up and just wade into it, but Paul tells us we should reject it—stay away from it. “Do not treat prophecies with contempt but test them all; hold on to what is good, reject every kind of evil. May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do it.” ‭‭1 Thessalonians‬ ‭5:20-24‬ NIV When he wrote this he’d been in Berea and the Christians there diligently searched the scriptures to make sure everything Paul said was in line. Paul here is encouraging the Thessalonians to
Read more