Thursday, October 1, 2009

Stuff I Wish I Would Have Done More of ....

Almost a month after dropping my daughter Rachel off at college, the strongest memory of those couple days remains the moments that she and I sat together at the final chapel service. I put my arm around her and she laid her head back against my arm.

My job keeps me from sitting with my family most Sundays ... I'm the preacher. But I found myself wishing I would have found more ways and times to have been able to sit with her in church, put my arm around her and let her lay her head back on my arm.

Come to think of it, I have two other ladies in my home that I still have a chance to do that with. Lord, don't let me miss out again!

(The picture is of Rachel and me on our way to IWU on Sept 3)

Am I scared of God?

I made a comment in my message on Sunday that I didn't think that we in the church today "had a clue as to what it means to 'fear the Lord.'" I got a lot of nodding of heads and those dignified "Amens." But I really do think that there is something here that we really need to grasp and integrate into our relationship with God.

One of the illustrations I thought about using to make my point was the response of people the Sunday that one of the church elders took the pulpit and preached on the fear of God. There was a huge lack of connection. I don't think that it was just about delivery or elequence ... it was in large measure because of a lack of connection. We just are not able to associate in our minds the term "fear" with the concept that we have of God in today's version of "Christianity." And it may be utterly true that the understanding that we have of that word is really not compatable with who God really is.

But it is a term that is used consistently and persistently throughout the scriptures about a key component of our relationship with him. This morning in reading Jeremiah 32 ...

38 And they shall be my people, and I will be their God. 39 I will give them one heart and one way, that they may fear me forever, for their own good and the good of their children after them. 40 I will make with them an everlasting covenant, that I will not turn away from doing good to them. And I will put the fear of me in their hearts, that they may not turn from me. 41 I will rejoice in doing them good, and I will plant them in this land in faithfulness, with all my heart and all my soul.

The ESV Study Bible describes "fear" as "reverence." I know lots of people who like to insertr that word in place of fear. But most of the time I feel like they want to do it to tone it down and keep it from sounding like we are supposed to be "ascared" of God.

In working through this I wonder if our problem is that we think of "fear" only as an emotion. It can be a warrented emotion in the face of real danger or it can be an emotion that's based on things that are not real. It can become an overwhelming emotion that dictates more aspects of our lives than it truly merrits. And yet it is a neccessary emotion in our lives.

If I didn't have an understanding of the power and danger of electricity I might be tempted to go down into the basement, open up the electric panel and begin switching wires around. But because I am aware of the nature, power, and danger of playing with electricity, I can get nervous opening the panel door.

When God said he would put fear in the hearts of His people, was he saying that he would put an awareness of his nature, power and the consequences of disregarding his Word into our minds and hearts. Our problem is not then that we fail to fear the Lord, but we fail to acknowledge the nature and power of God.

Often we fear the "unknown." But in this case we don't fear that which we resist knowing. How much more dangerous can that be?

The precious thing about the Jeremiah passage is God's desire to put this awareness into the hearts of his people. Oh that we would not resist God giving to us a fresh and full awarenes of His Holy character, of his righteous nature and onipotent power. Then maybe we would begin to understand the fear of this Almighty One!