“And now, Israel, what does the LORD your God require of you, but to fear the LORD your God, to walk in all his ways, to love him, to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and to keep the commandments and statutes of the LORD, which I am commanding you today for your good” (Deuteronomy 10:12-13 ESV)?
I’d like for you to take a journey with me this week. I’d like for us to be willing to get our hands dirty, ask some difficult questions, choose to walk the overgrown path that is fraught with danger.
I have never completely bought the explanation that “the fear of the Lord” simply means holding God in reverence and high esteem. That thought never really satisfied me. I don’t presume that we will necessarily find the answers we seek, only that we will wrestle with the concept.
What does it really mean to “fear the Lord?” And why do we need to fear Him? I thought that God wants us to love Him. So do we fear or do we love? The idea of both of those things coexisting is perplexing.
I once knew a person who was in a relationship that regularly cycled through emotional abuse and violent physical abuse as well as domineering and controlling behavior. As is fairly typical in abuse cases, the one who suffered from the abuse loved the abuser. The abuser proclaimed love, but abusive actions speak much louder than empty words.
I don’t understand.
Are we to fear or love? Let’s see if we can find out together.
Blessings on your week!
Photo by Samer Daboul from Pexels
Skipping Stones 