Fear Only God

[dgbygrace]

Morning: God's People Are Safe

"Whoso hearkeneth unto me shall dwell safely, and shall be quiet from fear of evil."

--Proverbs 1:33

Divine love is rendered conspicuous when it I shines in the midst of judgments. Fair is that lone star which smiles through the rifts of the thunder clouds; bright is the oasis which blooms in the wilderness of sand; so fair and so bright is love in the midst of wrath. When the Israelites provoked the Most High by their continued idolatry, He punished them by withholding both dew and rain, so that their land was visited by a sore famine; but while He did this, He took care that His own chosen ones should be secure.

If all other brooks are dry, yet shall there be one reserved for Elijah; and when that fails, God shall still preserve for him a place of sustenance; nay, not only so, the Lord had not simply one "Elijah," but He had a remnant according to the election of grace, who were hidden by fifties in a cave, and though the whole land was subject to famine, yet these fifties in the cave were fed, and fed from Ahab's table too by His faithful, God-fearing steward, Obadiah. Let us from this draw the inference, that come what may, God's people are safe. Let convulsions shake the solid earth, let the skies themselves be rent in twain, yet amid the wreck of worlds the believer shall be as secure as in the calmest hour of rest.

If God cannot save His people under heaven, He will save them in heaven. If the world becomes too hot to hold them, then heaven shall be the place of their reception and their safety. Be ye then confident, when ye hear of wars, and rumours of wars. Let no agitation distress you, but be quiet from fear of evil. Whatsoever cometh upon the earth, you, beneath the broad wings of Jehovah, shall be secure. Stay yourself upon His promise; rest in His faithfulness, and bid defiance to the blackest future, for there is nothing in it direful for you. Your sole concern should be to show forth to the world the blessedness of hearkening to the voice of wisdom.
C.H. Spurgeon

Psalm 72
Give the king Your judgments, O God
And Your righteousness to the king's Son.
He will judge Your people with righteousness,
And Your poor with justice.
The mountains will bring peace to the people,
And the little hills, by righteousness.
He will bring justice to the poor of the people;
He will save the children of the needy,
And will break in pieces the oppressor.

They shall fear YOU
As long as sun and moon endure,
Throughout all generations.
He shall come down like rain upon the grass before mowing,
like showers that water the earth.
In His days the righteous shall flourish,
And abunance of peace,
Until the moon is no more.

[dgbygrace]

Who and what is it that we are to fear?  And for how long are our instructions??

Fear only God.  Let's explore that some!!

And for now let's go with Psalm 72.  God lives outside of time however He has chosen to give us it for now...so, "until the moon is no more"

In particular, I would like to look at the end-time prophecies...from the other point of view.  Each of them have promises included!  Let's look closely at what our Lord has promised us...

[Adullam]

When we walk fully in the Spirit we are fearless since we are surrounded in perfect love.

Perfect love casts out ALL fear. 

[dgbygrace]

When we walk fully in the Spirit we are fearless since we are surrounded in perfect love.

Perfect love casts out ALL fear. 

That's it exactly Adullam!!!  Many years ago I remember reading that and it caught my attention, and my breath!!  I remember asking "really God? ALL fear?? Please show me that!"

What a journey since!  Every one of our trials is a chance to learn that one sentence deeper...and our joy and relationship with our Father an Savior to grow.  Each on of them is specially designed for us.  My sinful human nature still says  ", what about this one Lord?  Can I still not fear?"  I think I am afraid to be afraid!  So many people say they trust God, but that is easy to say when there is nothing on the line, and those things like the day of wrath...keep that to just thoughts and not too often at that!  How much better to go through things and have Him grow that faith so that we can truly say "I fear nothing but Him!!"

[me2lord]

   It is so,  we are safe in the Lord's hands and  he protects us when tribulation comes, because  he sends it upon the earth to punish those who opposed him.   

Our Lord gave me a vision recently of a Leopard coming near me, but not harming me in any manner,  and then the holy spirit woke me up and brought me to these verses as they are from our Lord.  These words are from the Lord what he will do in this time of the End.  To the Children who love him.

Job 5: 17 “Blessed  is the one whom God corrects;
therefore do not despise the discipline of the Almighty.

18 For he wounds, but he binds up;
he strikes, but his hands heal.

19 He will deliver you from six troubles;
in seven no harm shall touch you.

20 In famine he will redeem you from death,
and in war from the power of the sword.

21 You shall be hidden from the scourge of the tongue,
and shall not fear destruction when it comes.

22 At destruction and famine you shall laugh,
and shall not fear the wild animals of the earth.

23 For you shall be in league with the stones of the field,
and the wild animals shall be at peace with you.

24 You shall know that your tent is safe,
you shall inspect your fold and miss nothing.

25 You shall know that your descendants will be many,
and your offspring like the grass of the earth.
 
26 You shall come to your grave in ripe old age,
as a shock of grain comes up to the threshing floor in its season.

27 See, we have searched this out; it is true.
Hear, and know it for yourself.”
 
 These words have given me great comfort and they should you also, because we learn correction and we should not despise hardships which we will have over the next 4 yrs until the Beast completes the days given to him by God and the Lord appears as he said he would.  amen.

IN Christ's love
Vickie

[dgbygrace]

Isn't it amazing how He prepares each of us for what He brings?

Interesting set of verses.

I agree we should not at all despise hardships and correction.  Unlike my earthly parents, His correction is done with love not to punish His children.  This is exactly what I want to get into...that while He is coming to punish the wayward ones He isn't coming to punish us.

Just like the verse that says 1,000 may fall at your left hand...you will only SEE it.  Not go through it with them.  Just as in Egypt's plagues...the land of Goshen was sheltered...and in on plague even the Egyptians who listened and went inside.

I believe always talking about God's wrath is a bit of a disservice to Him.  God is love.  His love is something we really don't comprehend very well...beyond our imaginations!

[cizz]

Sister this is a wonderful and inspiring study   It is a study not only of what the scriptures say, but the study of what is written on and in our hearts. You said, "I think I am afraid to be afraid!" and this I can truly understand along with the opposite also, "I am afraid to NOT be afraid". Sounds confusing!   but it is worthy to note that once we place our 'fear/s' in the right direction, the next thing we heard is "fear not"...

Here is a verse to consider:

Gen 31:42     Except the God of my father, the God of Abraham, and the fear of Isaac, had been with me, surely thou hadst sent me away now empty. God hath seen mine affliction and the labour of my hands, and rebuked [thee] yesternight.

'the fear of Isaac' = the one whom Isaac feared

Psa 25:14     The secret of the LORD [is] with them that fear him; and he will shew them his covenant.

Psa 72:5     They shall fear thee as long as the sun and moon endure, throughout all generations.

Psa 103:11  For as the heaven is high above the earth, [so] great is his mercy toward them that fear him.

Psa 103:13  Like as a father pitieth [his] children, [so] the LORD pitieth them that fear him.

Pro 14:27     The fear of the LORD [is] a fountain of life, to depart from the snares of death.

Pro 19:23     The fear of the LORD [tendeth] to life: and [he that hath it] shall abide satisfied; he shall not be visited with evil.

Isa 8:12     Say ye not, A confederacy, to all [them to] whom this people shall say, A confederacy; neither fear  ye their fear, nor be afraid.

Isa 8:13     Sanctify the LORD of hosts himself; and [let] him [be] your fear, and [let] him [be] your dread.

[dgbygrace]

Gen 31:42     Except the God of my father, the God of Abraham, and the fear of Isaac,

Hey!  I never noticed that...!

So perhaps we could talk some about what it is to fear God?

[cizz]

Gen 31:42     Except the God of my father, the God of Abraham, and the fear of Isaac,

Hey!  I never noticed that...!

So perhaps we could talk some about what it is to fear God?

 

Pro 1:7  The fear of the LORD [is] the beginning of knowledge: [but] fools despise wisdom and instruction.

'the beginning of knowledge'

The word beginning in the verse: Strong's H7225 - re'shiyth

first, beginning, best, chief

AV — beginning  18,  firstfruits 11,  first 9,  chief 8,  misc 5

'of knowledge'    Strong's H1847 - da`ath

knowledge, perception, skill, discernment, understanding, wisdom, to know, to recognize, admit, acknowledge, confess, to consider

Most consider this verse to be saying that we must 'fear' the Lord, in the sense that this is something we have to try and make ourselves do. To me this verse is saying that I need to recognize and know that I have a fear of the idea and concept of there being a god that created all, that has total control of over all. I say this because not everyone in the world is Christian, but everyone does have a common fear of there existing powerful being/s that have control over them/us and all of creation. I believe that covers all of humanity regardless of religion or nationality  Our Lord God is so cool! He writes and teaches us about all His creation and all people (humans)! 

[Adullam]

The fear of God preserves us when we are not in direct intimacy with God through the Spirit. We need the fear of the Lord when we are outside His presence. When we are near to God this fear is transformed into love and awe! Of course, we can never take His presence for granted.

So the fear of the Lord is like salt that preserves our relationship even through the trials of this present time. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. But the culmination of all wisdom is surrender to Christ.  

[dgbygrace]

Gen 31:42     Except the God of my father, the God of Abraham, and the fear of Isaac,

Hey!  I never noticed that...!

So perhaps we could talk some about what it is to fear God?

 

Pro 1:7  The fear of the LORD [is] the beginning of knowledge: [but] fools despise wisdom and instruction.

'the beginning of knowledge'

The word beginning in the verse: Strong's H7225 - re'shiyth

first, beginning, best, chief

AV — beginning  18,  firstfruits 11,  first 9,  chief 8,  misc 5

'of knowledge'    Strong's H1847 - da`ath

knowledge, perception, skill, discernment, understanding, wisdom, to know, to recognize, admit, acknowledge, confess, to consider

Most consider this verse to be saying that we must 'fear' the Lord, in the sense that this is something we have to try and make ourselves do. To me this verse is saying that I need to recognize and know that I have a fear of the idea and concept of there being a god that created all, that has total control of over all. I say this because not everyone in the world is Christian, but everyone does have a common fear of there existing powerful being/s that have control over them/us and all of creation. I believe that covers all of humanity regardless of religion or nationality  Our Lord God is so cool! He writes and teaches us about all His creation and all people (humans)! 

That is awesome sister!  Knowing

Know God first...
We aren't afraid of something we don't know is there...but like you said we are all afraid of the "unknown"...which is recognizing that there is something there!

So fear, know, God the beginning...

[dgbygrace]

The fear of God preserves us when we are not in direct intimacy with God through the Spirit. We need the fear of the Lord when we are outside His presence. When we are near to God this fear is transformed into love and awe! Of course, we can never take His presence for granted.

So the fear of the Lord is like salt that preserves our relationship even through the trials of this present time. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. But the culmination of all wisdom is surrender to Christ.  

Amen!  "the culmination...Christ!

Interesting  thank you, I am pondering the salt/preservation line of thought.

Exodus 30:35 and make a fragrant blend of incense, the work of a perfumer. It is to be salted and pure and sacred.

Leviticus 2:13 Season all your grain offerings with salt. Do not leave the salt of the covenant of your God out of your grain offerings; add salt to all your offerings.


Job 30:4 In the brush they gathered salt herbs,
       and their food [a] was the root of the broom tree. (What are salt herbs?)

Matthew 5:13"You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men. (lose their salt - lose their knowing?)

Mark 9:50"Salt is good, but if it loses its saltiness, how can you make it salty again? Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with each other."  (know God andd peace with each other)

Colossians 4:6Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.  (let your conversation include the Lord?)

[cizz]

The fear of God preserves us when we are not in direct intimacy with God through the Spirit. We need the fear of the Lord when we are outside His presence. When we are near to God this fear is transformed into love and awe! Of course, we can never take His presence for granted.

So the fear of the Lord is like salt that preserves our relationship even through the trials of this present time. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. But the culmination of all wisdom is surrender to Christ.  

AMEN!   'like the salt that preserves'  

That is awesome sister!  Knowing

Know God first...
We aren't afraid of something we don't know is there...but like you said we are all afraid of the "unknown"...which is recognizing that there is something there!

So fear, know, God the beginning...

Consider Elijah and Baal's prophets  in 1 Kings 18, this showdown if you will, was done in front of all the children of Israel. These people, were they faking their fear of Baal? I say no, they were lead by these prophets to believe that Baal and his/her gods were the one/s to fear!  These people were not faking their worship and fear for these so called gods, it was real to them. Their confusion on which god to worship and fear was real and why was it real, because the fear that lead them to even be concerned that there is an all powerful being or beings to them, they weren't sure, but they were sure of their fear or else they would not have bothered themselves with worshiping and trying to please and appease...

1Ki 18:21       And Elijah came unto all the people, and said, How long halt ye between two opinions? if the LORD [be] God, follow him: but if Baal, [then] follow him. And the people answered him not a word.  

1Ki 18:39       And when all the people saw [it], they fell on their faces: and they said, The LORD, he [is] the God; the LORD, he [is] the God.

I think that is the first step in the 'fear of the Lord', we learn trembling and dreading before Him..

Isa 8:13     Sanctify the LORD of hosts himself; and [let] him [be] your fear, and [let] him [be] your dread.

[cizz]

Psa 55:19     God shall hear, and afflict them, even he that abideth of old. Selah. Because they have no changes, therefore they fear not God.

Pro 15:33     The fear of the LORD [is] the instruction of wisdom; and before honour [is] humility.

Pro 16:6     By mercy and truth iniquity is purged: and by the fear of the LORD [men] depart from evil.

[Adullam]

or wisdom is protection just as money is protection, But the advantage of knowledge is that wisdom preserves the lives of its possessors. Eccl. 7:12

The fear of the Lord preserves our lives. We must never lose that childlike quality. When we have lost the fear of God, we have lost our saltiness. We become as the world around us.