The Question Most Asked
Encouragement for Your Heart & Mind from Pastor David Staff
Just before leaving Iowa in 2021, Pamela and I were asked to come to Family Camp at Hidden Acres Camp near Dayton, Iowa. I was to be the keynote speaker.
At the same time, I had been teaching on Sunday mornings on the subject “Storm-Strong Families.” It’s no secret today that many families – perhaps most (!) – are in trouble today. Russell Moore’s book The Storm-Tossed Family, winner of the 2019 Christianity Today “Book of the Year” award, laid out the cultural hurricane that has left in its wake devastated families. “The outside culture valorizes sexual promiscuity, gender confusion, a divorce culture, and the upending of marriage.”
My goal in accepting the invitation was to offer husband/dads and wife/moms hope that they could build their “house” with the Lord’s help, a family that could withstand the destructive storms that break against it.
One key I set before them was simply this. Storm-strong families excel in fearing the Lord. Not surprisingly, I was then and often am now asked this important question: “What does it mean to fear the Lord?”
What do you think?
EAGER TO FEAR THE LORD
If you were to count as you read through Proverbs, you’d discover that fearing the Lord is mentioned at least 20 times. For this wisest of kings (i.e., Solomon), fearing the Lord was a
matter not to be neglected. His volume echoes with its importance.
OK…but what is it? Are we to be afraid of God? Doesn’t His perfect love cast out all fear (cf. 1 John 4:18)?
WHAT FEARING GOD IS
A thorough investigation of Scripture yields important clarity about fearing God. I summarize here its key components [and unpack more coming Sunday morning].
A conviction of dependency, a sobering reality, an acknowledged passion, a humility before revelation – the core elements of fearing the Lord. Here’s a summary statement.
IS GOD SAFE?
In C.S. Lewis’ Narnia chronicle, The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, Mr. Beaver informs Susan that “Aslan is a lion, the Lion, the great Lion.” “Ooh,” says Susan, “I’d thought he was a man. Is he…quite safe? I shall feel rather nervous about meeting a lion.”
“Safe?” replies Mr. Beaver, “Who said anything about being safe? Of course he isn’t safe. But He’s good. He’s the King, I tell you.”
Hmmm…methinks Mr. Beaver answers the question quite well.
At the same time, I had been teaching on Sunday mornings on the subject “Storm-Strong Families.” It’s no secret today that many families – perhaps most (!) – are in trouble today. Russell Moore’s book The Storm-Tossed Family, winner of the 2019 Christianity Today “Book of the Year” award, laid out the cultural hurricane that has left in its wake devastated families. “The outside culture valorizes sexual promiscuity, gender confusion, a divorce culture, and the upending of marriage.”
My goal in accepting the invitation was to offer husband/dads and wife/moms hope that they could build their “house” with the Lord’s help, a family that could withstand the destructive storms that break against it.
One key I set before them was simply this. Storm-strong families excel in fearing the Lord. Not surprisingly, I was then and often am now asked this important question: “What does it mean to fear the Lord?”
What do you think?
EAGER TO FEAR THE LORD
If you were to count as you read through Proverbs, you’d discover that fearing the Lord is mentioned at least 20 times. For this wisest of kings (i.e., Solomon), fearing the Lord was a
matter not to be neglected. His volume echoes with its importance.
- To fear the Lord is the beginning of knowledge (1:7)
- Fearing the Lord and finding knowledge go hand-in-hand.
- It’s the beginning of wisdom (9:10)
- Fearing the Lord brings strong confidence (14:26)
- Fearing the Lord turns someone from evil (16:6) and leads to life (19:23)
- It brings the fullness of God’s blessing (28:14)
- It is the mark of a truly beautiful woman (31:10), making her worthy of praise.
OK…but what is it? Are we to be afraid of God? Doesn’t His perfect love cast out all fear (cf. 1 John 4:18)?
WHAT FEARING GOD IS
A thorough investigation of Scripture yields important clarity about fearing God. I summarize here its key components [and unpack more coming Sunday morning].
1st - A CONVICTION OF DEPENDENCY
To fear the Lord is to nurture a conviction that there is a Sovereign God who holds both the universe and our very moment-by-moment lives by the word of His power. All things – and we are – utterly dependent on His giving grace every moment of every day. (see Hebrews 1:3, Acts 17:25)
2nd - AN OVERWHELMING REALITY
To fear the Lord is to realize that the full expression of God’s presence is something no creature could survive. Even glimpses of God’s glory brought to men & women in the Scriptural accounts tremendous, overwhelming fright. See Daniel 7:28, 10:17, Nehemiah 1:5, 4:14; Job 37:22)
3rd – ACKNOWLEDGING GOD’S PASSION
To fear the Lord is to reverence God’s passion for holiness and righteousness. God is a consuming fire, uncompromising when it comes to sin and yet loving in His purpose to rescue and restore us from its devastation. See Hebrews 12:28-29, 2 Corinthians 5:18-21
4th – A HUMILITY BEFORE REVELATION
To fear the Lord is to take, with deep humility, a posture of welcome and reception of what God has revealed to us. He speaks through what has been created (general revelation in what was made) and communicated (special revelation in Scripture and through Jesus the Word). See Proverbs 1:7, 29.
A conviction of dependency, a sobering reality, an acknowledged passion, a humility before revelation – the core elements of fearing the Lord. Here’s a summary statement.
One who fears the Lord knows he/she is utterly dependent on a God who gives everything, hears and obeys what God reveals about the pathway of life, and understands that foolish disobedience of God leads to destruction.
IS GOD SAFE?
In C.S. Lewis’ Narnia chronicle, The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, Mr. Beaver informs Susan that “Aslan is a lion, the Lion, the great Lion.” “Ooh,” says Susan, “I’d thought he was a man. Is he…quite safe? I shall feel rather nervous about meeting a lion.”
“Safe?” replies Mr. Beaver, “Who said anything about being safe? Of course he isn’t safe. But He’s good. He’s the King, I tell you.”
Hmmm…methinks Mr. Beaver answers the question quite well.
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