Fear God
BRD REFLECTIONS:
Deuteronomy 9, 10 and Psalm 119:81-112 (NIV)
(Grace Tham, BRD Core Team)
READ:
Deut 10:12-13 [NIV]
And now Israel, what does the Lord your God ask of you but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in obedience to him, to love him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and to observe the Lord’s commands and decrees I am giving you today for your own good?
Deut 10:17-18 [NIV]
For the Lord your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great God, mighty and awesome, who shows no partiality and accepts no bribes. He defends the cause of the fatherless and the widow, and loves the foreigner residing among you, giving them food and clothing.
OBSERVE:
Verses 12 and 13 tell us that fearing God means being obedient in observing His commands, loving and serving Him with all of our being. Verse 17 provides the reason for fearing God: He alone deserves our reverent worship and adoration because He is God. However, God is not some high and mighty dictator far up in heaven, controlling human beings according to His own whims and fancies. Our God is the Creator and the most awesome being, but He is also deeply concerned about those who are vulnerable and marginalized. That is why He deserves to be feared!
APPLY:
As I reflect on these verses, tough questions come to mind: am I truly God-fearing? Do I obey God when He calls me to do something to bless someone else? Do I give my best in serving Him or only my leftover time and resources? Do I love Him with all my heart and soul, or only when times are good and when God answers my prayers according to my will? Unfortunately, I have a long way more to go to answer with an emphatic ‘yes’. Verse 17 is a clear reminder that I should fear God by putting Him first in all aspects of my life because that is where He should be. It’s so liberating to know that as I walk in obedience with God my shepherd, He walks with me and leads me along the right paths for my own good.
DO:
- I will consciously set aside parts of my Quiet Time to dwell in His presence and seek His will first instead of bombarding Him with endless prayer requests.
- As God defends the cause of the fatherless, the widow and the foreigner, I will do my best to be like Him in serving the least, the last and the lost.
PRAY:
Dear God, I thank You that You are my awesome Creator, loving Father and great Shepherd. You walk with me every day because You love me so much and You are deeply interested in every aspect of my life. May I put You first in all that I do and live my life according to Your will. Help me to be more like You in defending the cause of the vulnerable and marginalized. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
