To FEAR or NOT TO FEAR~
is that the question or the answer?
Well,
it depends on the
WHO
you are
NOT TO FEAR~
"So DO NOT FEAR, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your GOD. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand" (Isaiah 41:10)
or who you are
TO FEAR~
"Come and listen, all you who FEAR GOD..."*
Now take a hard stop.
A wee bit of confusion about
FEAR.
Didn't the
Angel
who surprised
Mary say,
“DO NOT BE ARAID, Mary,
for you have found favor with GOD..."
after he said,
“Greetings, favored one! The LORD is with you” (Luke 1:28-30).
TO FEAR or NOT TO FEAR~
is that the question or the answer.
THE ANSWER~
"Come and listen, all you who FEAR GOD.
Let me tell you what HE has done for me.
I cried out to HIM with my mouth;
HIS praise was on my tongue.
If I had cherished sin in my heart,
the LORD would not have listened;
but GOD has surely listened
and heard my voice in prayer.
Praise be to GOD,
who has not rejected my prayer
or withheld HIS love from me!
*(Psalm 66:16-20)
Psalm 66:16-20 describes
my road to recovery
from food strongholds.
Ever since my first cry out to the LORD,
my life has not been the same.
It is a cry that
saved my life,
and I pray that it is a cry
that will save your life or has saved your life.
"Come and listen, all you who FEAR GOD..."
Did I know that I was FEARING GOD?
No, because I had a whole different understanding of
FEARING GOD.
I grew up FEARING GOD
in a FEARFUL way.
The words,
"GOD IS WATCHING YOU,
so you better WATCH OUT"
put me in FEAR
to a punishing GOD
to a condemning GOD
to a GOD who I better hide from,
because I could never be
GOOD ENOUGH for HIM
if HE is watching me
and knows everything about me.
Yikes!
Oh my theology was so off base.
TO FEAR GOD
is to
LOVE GOD above ALL~
"Love the LORD your GOD with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind" (Matthew 22:37).
TO FEAR GOD is to be in such AWE of GOD
that GOD takes first place in your life
so that your
LOVE for HIM
OVERCOMES FEAR
because
the FEAR OF THE LORD
is to
LIVE LIFE WITHOUT GOD.
Not that is REAL FEAR.
TO FEAR or NOT TO FEAR?
Oh please
FEAR GOD
and then there is nothing else
TO FEAR
because
"There is NO FEAR in love [dread does not exist].
But perfect (complete, full-grown) love drives out FEAR,
because FEAR involves [the expectation of divine] punishment,
so the one who is afraid [of GOD'S judgment]
is not perfected in love [has not grown
into a sufficient understanding of GOD'S love].
We love, because HE first loved us" (I John 4:18-19).
Therefore,
enjoy
LIVING FEARFUL
in HIS PERFECT LOVE
and you will
"FEAR NO MORE"
(listen to the song below)