The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him and what came to my mind and heart in Luke 12:5,
"I will show you whom you should fear: Fear him who, after the killing of the body, has power to throw you into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him."
We live in a day where we are often entertained by those thoughts that can elicit a measure of fear. Books, movies, television broadcasting have plenty in the way of zombies, vampires, aliens, the dark foreboding unknown, slashers and psychos. Indeed, I think I just listed all my favorite genres of movies here. I used to love X Files when it was being broadcast. It's draw was to tickle our sense of fear of the off-the-wall. I think many of us are entertained by that which pokes or prods at us in the things we find creepy. As long as it is bearable, some of us find entertainment value here.
However, there is that which holds no entertainment value at all. I would think many in the mental health field would tell us that fear is a fairly common element with folks who suffer serious mental and emotional issues. Fear of the unknown, fear of the irrational, fear we won't succeed, fear that someone we care about might do us harm, etc. These are serious issues and, as we all know, can consume the lives of many.
On the other hand, there are those rational fears we can all wrestle from time to time. Death and what lies beyond the grave, serious illness, the well being of those we love being endangered, the threat of our enemies. These are real and legitimate. I suspect it is in this realm the Lord speaks. There are those things in life that are authentic and "real" that we might fear. Some may fear opposition, some may fear what others may do, what others may think.
When it comes to our expression of faith in God, the only one we should fear is God himself. In this passage Jesus says, "I tell you, whoever acknowledges me before men, the Son of Man will also acknowledge him before the angels of God. But he who disowns me before men will be disowned before the angels of God." Luke 12:8-9. Fear of what others may think and do have no place when it comes to the expression of our faith in God. He is the one to fear... and no one else.
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share your thoughts of worship with us from your Bible reading today. We'd love to hear from you!
Trevor Fisk
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