Fear No Fear

(All scripture from the World English Bible, ebible.org, all rights reserved)

“Now these are the commandments, the statutes, and the ordinances, which Yahweh your God commanded to teach you, that you might do them in the land that you go over to possess; that you might fear Yahweh your God, to keep all his statutes and his commandments, which I command you—you, your son, and your son’s son, all the days of your life; and that your days may be prolonged. Hear therefore, Israel, and observe to do it, that it may be well with you, and that you may increase mightily, as Yahweh, the God of your fathers, has promised to you, in a land flowing with milk and honey.”
(Deuteronomy 6:1-3)

“The fear of Yahweh is the beginning of knowledge,
    but the foolish despise wisdom and instruction.”
(Proverbs 1:7)

If they didn’t KNOW the rules and moral character of God, they would be UNABLE to obey. But if the DID know, and if they realised what was BEHIND them, they would have the WISDOM to obey. This is why the commandments were given the WAY they were given. It wasn’t about rules. It was about a code of conduct, meant to ensure that the people of Israel stayed under the protecting shelter of Yahweh’s wings – instead of exposing themselves to the very dangerous spiritual environmental conditions of the world around them. If they stayed under His wings, in His will, focusing on Him and what He provides, they would NEVER be wanting and NEVER on the losing side.

The REVERENCE of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge and it will lead us to His wisdom, which is the lifeblood of the nation. The foolish says ‘I got this’ and tries to live according to their own strength, their own way, doing what they think is right. But the human mind is so easily deceived. We can take up a call for some aspect of social justice (on a neighbourhood, civic, governmental, national, or international level) without knowing all the details about what is going on behind that call. Only by measuring things the way God does will we be aligned with the truth. Only God is objective. Only God has the best things in mind for humanity. Only God is perfect and able to BE truthful.

Summary

What God says is not always to our liking. It does NOT make it any less true. What God says does not always seem like what we WANT to do. It does NOT make it any less true. God ALWAYS speaks truth. When we choose to see that, and when we choose to put what He says first, THAT is when we begin to know Him. To know what His Word is saying. To know what His moral character is. to know that He is trustworthy and ALWAYS truthful. It can be hard to accept correction. It can be hard to step out with nothing but a Word from God to guide you. There are MANY bumps in the road – but God didn’t put them there. He told the truth. He called you to walk in the truth. And if you will put Him first, do what He commands, and study the Word to stay aligned with Him, you will ALWAYS be on the winning side and ALWAYS have your needs taken care of. Whether that means you have groceries on the table, something on hand to bless the neighbours, or the mouths of the lions shut. God ALWAYS comes through for His obedient children.