Boo!
Halloween is this Friday. It is the one day of the year people love to be scared. People will pay money to walk through a haunted house fearful of what is around the next corner.
While I am on the subject of fear, the question I would like you to ponder is do you fear God? The Old Testament mentioned several times how the people feared God. For years I have struggled with the concept of fearing God. God wants us to fear Him but also love Him. It did not make sense. How could fear and love go together?
I think for many of us we would rather talk about the gentle God of the New Testament. We need to remember the God of the Old and New Testament are one in the same. God is “The same yesterday and today and forever.”
The other day I finally figured out how fear equals love. In the book of Exodus (20:20) Moses told the people the fear of God would keep them from sinning. Sin can lead to disaster.
When I received my driver’s license my dad told warned me what would happen if I received a speeding ticket. I feared the punishment, not driving fast. My dad warned me because he loved me and wanted to keep me from having an accident. Fear equaled love.
God is the same way. He knows what destruction sin will bring to our lives. Unfortunately I have seen this first hand. He wants us to fear Him to protect us. Fear equals love.
Have a safe Halloween and may we all fear God.
