July 7 – Fear That Deters Sin

“Moses said to the people, “Do not be afraid; for God has come in order to test you, and in order that the fear of Him may remain with you, so that you may not sin.”” – Exodus 20:20 (NASB)

Fear of God is like the promise of ‘hope’ that does not disappoint, we are more used to a ‘hope’ that lets us down and is more of a wish than a certainty of God’s promises. We know and think of fear as a terrible and unwanted emotion. Like the people of Israel, at the base of Mount Sinai were receiving the Law of God, specifically the Ten Commandments. Having seen the thunder and lightning and the sounds of the trumpet and fire from the mountain top, they are deathly afraid of God and fear He is going to kill them. Moses instructs them to not respond to the phenomena with fear. Instead they were also told to have a proper healthy fear of God. It’s being in awe and reverence of God’s perfection. Such fear deterrers sin. God’s intention is that his power and holiness stimulate fear in us not to drive us from Him, but to drive us to Him. Fearing God means, first, fearing to abandon him as our great security and satisfaction. Romans 11:20 instructs us to stand strong through faith so that we will avoid pride and instead fear falling to unbelief.

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July 18 – A Right Fear

Moses said to the people, “Do not fear, for God has come to test you, that the fear of him may be before you, that you may not sin.” - Exodus 20:20  (ESV)

In our passage today we have an explanation for the tremendous thunder storms that followed Moses’ reading of the Ten Commandments to the people. The storms must have been more powerful than any they had seen for it caused great fear. Now they truly feared God and appeal to Moses to be the spokesperson between God and them.  Although we often find the command to “Fear not” in the Bible, this is a different expression of the emotion. Moses compares the natural fear of a storm with awesome reverence – a kind of fear of God, for it is He who created the storm. God tested the people of Israel to give them a proper sense of fear of Him. Knowing the awful consequences of sin as they were just now receiving the Law with its instruction of how to avoid sinning and how they must deal with their sin. Before their obedience was this fear, as a motivation. Fear of God was what would prevent the people from following the sinful ways they were used to. God’s promise to us is to help us keep, in our hearts and minds, an awesome reverence of God.

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February 15 - Unshakable

“Therefore, since we receive a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us show gratitude, by which we may offer to God an acceptable service with reverence and awe; for our God is a consuming fire.”  - Hebrews 12:28-29 (NASB)

The author of this letter or book, who is unknown, declares what we have received although moving in is still in the future for us.  We have confirmation that  as members of God’s family, we have received citizenship in the kingdom made by Him and which is permanent, indestructible, and unshakable.  Isn't it true this promise ought to bring to us an obvious and evident gratitude.  It is through this gratitude, this attitude of thanksgiving that we present, our response offering to God. It springs and surges out of our genuine reverence and awe.  We often speak of the fear of God as something that should characterize our attitude and this is the same as reverence and awe.  What God has promised so assuredly and what we can rightfully believe is already ours, is a forever irrevocable pass into the new heaven and new earth – the kingdom which cannot be shaken.  God will one day shake the earth as he promised (v. 26) but the kingdom that is ours and that will replace this present earth is forever and unwavering.  Those that reject the offer will face God as a consuming fire. 

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May 26 – Abundance Stored Up

“How abundant are the good things that you have stored up for those who fear you, that you bestow in the sight of all, on those who take refuge in you.”  Psalm 31:19 (NIV)

We are blessed  to think of our God as being a good God and this verse reminds us that His goodness is abundant. The psalmist tells us that the abundance of good things have been stored up for us if we fear God. Think of some of the very large storerooms we have seen. God's storehouses are for us and they are not hidden. God has placed this abundance in the sight of all – it is a storehouse of enough goodness and love to take care of all who come to God and accept His invitation. This is God's promise to us, that if we fear – respect and worship – Him, we have access to this abundant goodness. When we read that it is for those who fear Him, we understand that means those who have true respect and awe for God. Today, let's praise our God for creating this storehouse of abundant good things and we can find refuge in Him.