It was an honor to get to share a Father's Day message at Brown's Creek yesterday so I'd like to share a portion of that this week and continue to look at it what it takes to be a good father from Psalm 128.
The first "F" that I saw was one that we don't typically say a man should be. And that is Fearful, but not just fearful, Fearful of the Lord: "Blessed is everyone who fears the Lord" - Psalm 128:1a
Many people fear the Lord, including unbelievers. But their fear is typically more on the side of being afraid of judgment and eternal death. They fear the unknown and what will happen to their physical body. Some even fear an eternity in hell even though they're not certain that it even exists, they still fear that it could be real. Often times nonbelievers, and sometimes even believers in Christ will blame God for natural disasters or major tragedies and assume they are some sort of judgment from above. But why aren't these same people giving God credit for all the blessings we receive daily in life?
It's important to note that I'm not saying we should be fearful in general, just to have a fear of God. Matthew 10:28 reads, "And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell." As believers, we have a different fear of judgment. Yes, one day we will be judged, but when the Lord comes for us it will be to determine eternal rewards, not eternal destination. There is a big difference in the two.
For believers, our fear of the Lord should be a reverence and awe of the Creator of the universe. When we realize how great and mighty he truly is, I think we should almost be left speechless in his presence. We should not be scared of God, but we should have a healthy respect and fear of him. He is not out to destroy or harm us, and as Romans 8:28 says, "And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good." Now don't let that verse make you believe that everything is all sunshine and roses. God is a fair and just God. If you want to see what he is capable of and why we should have a healthy, respectful, fear of him just read the book of Exodus.
The more we get to know God, the greater our fear, respect, and reverence towards him will be. Proverbs 1:7 says, "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge." So if we flip that verse around and try to analyze it; without a knowledge of God, you will not properly fear him. So to be blessed, you must fear the Lord, to fear the Lord, you must get to know God, so how do we get to know God better? We learn more about him by reading his Word, by hearing his Word, and by praying with Him. All of these are vital to our personal relationship and knowledge of our Lord. Prayer WITH God, not just to God is crucial. Even non-believers cry out to God in times of sorrow or fear. But we are to pray with God, in conversation back and forth listening and talking. Sometimes we don't know what to say, and I believe those times are okay. It's just like when Thomas sits in my lap, some days he's talking away, but others he just sits and that's fine because we both know we're there and love each other's presence.
So in a rare piece of advice to men, be fearful, but know who you're being fearful of.
The first "F" that I saw was one that we don't typically say a man should be. And that is Fearful, but not just fearful, Fearful of the Lord: "Blessed is everyone who fears the Lord" - Psalm 128:1a
Many people fear the Lord, including unbelievers. But their fear is typically more on the side of being afraid of judgment and eternal death. They fear the unknown and what will happen to their physical body. Some even fear an eternity in hell even though they're not certain that it even exists, they still fear that it could be real. Often times nonbelievers, and sometimes even believers in Christ will blame God for natural disasters or major tragedies and assume they are some sort of judgment from above. But why aren't these same people giving God credit for all the blessings we receive daily in life?
It's important to note that I'm not saying we should be fearful in general, just to have a fear of God. Matthew 10:28 reads, "And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell." As believers, we have a different fear of judgment. Yes, one day we will be judged, but when the Lord comes for us it will be to determine eternal rewards, not eternal destination. There is a big difference in the two.
For believers, our fear of the Lord should be a reverence and awe of the Creator of the universe. When we realize how great and mighty he truly is, I think we should almost be left speechless in his presence. We should not be scared of God, but we should have a healthy respect and fear of him. He is not out to destroy or harm us, and as Romans 8:28 says, "And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good." Now don't let that verse make you believe that everything is all sunshine and roses. God is a fair and just God. If you want to see what he is capable of and why we should have a healthy, respectful, fear of him just read the book of Exodus.
The more we get to know God, the greater our fear, respect, and reverence towards him will be. Proverbs 1:7 says, "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge." So if we flip that verse around and try to analyze it; without a knowledge of God, you will not properly fear him. So to be blessed, you must fear the Lord, to fear the Lord, you must get to know God, so how do we get to know God better? We learn more about him by reading his Word, by hearing his Word, and by praying with Him. All of these are vital to our personal relationship and knowledge of our Lord. Prayer WITH God, not just to God is crucial. Even non-believers cry out to God in times of sorrow or fear. But we are to pray with God, in conversation back and forth listening and talking. Sometimes we don't know what to say, and I believe those times are okay. It's just like when Thomas sits in my lap, some days he's talking away, but others he just sits and that's fine because we both know we're there and love each other's presence.
So in a rare piece of advice to men, be fearful, but know who you're being fearful of.
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