DO YOU FEAR GOD?
Psalms 56:3,4 When I am afraid, I will trust in you. In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I will not be afraid. What can mortal man do to me?
Fear is a natural instinct that God has given us to help protect us. We don’t have to be taught it as a rule, but by experience or instruction we can learn to fear. When we step out on a ice covered sidewalk, and our feet start to slide out from under us fear puts everything on stop. If fear hadn’t warned us we would just keep right on going, and possibly fall and hurt ourselves.
Many times in the Bible it warns us to fear God and for good reason. It tells us that not only can God take our life, but cast us into hell for all eternity where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth. As wonderful as heaven is hell is as bad. In hell there will be no love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness or self-control. There will be nothing that is good in hell. On the other hand heaven will have nothing that is bad or evil. Everyone there will be Christ-like. The old order of things here on earth will have disappeared for them. There will be no more sorrow, pain or death. And the best part will be that we can be in the presence of Jesus, the Heavenly Father and the Holy Spirit. The multitude of Christians along with the holy angels of God will sing wonderful songs of love and praise to them forever and ever.
The decision to choose heaven or hell really doesn’t seem to be too hard as Moses points out in Deuteronomy 30, but still most people still reject the idea of obeying God. Most people really don’t fear God. Jesus points this out in that the road to heaven is narrow and few choose it, but the road to hell is wide and many choose its easy way. People allow their carnal nature of rejecting God’s will for their own will to overrule their fear of God. It is like they see the ice on the sidewalk and instead of listening to the fear of falling and getting hurt, they start running and end up falling and getting hurt and then blaming God.
On the United States currency we have the words, “In God we trust”, but very few ever take note of it or are warned by it. Most people just take the dollar out of the pocket and use it to pay their bill. The really sad thing is that while our leaders thought that this was an important reminder, much of the population in the United States and the world do to trust or obey the Lord. And when we look to what Moses said in Deuteronomy 30 these people are in for a terrible outcome when they have to stand before God on Judgement Day.
To kind of show us where we are at even as a country, this past week the corporation of Wells Fargo had to send their top people to stand before the United States Senate. Their company had purposely defrauded people out of hundreds of millions of dollars by illegally signing people up for accounts that these people never asked for. After several months being exposed to their sin and deceitfulness they were fined around 150 million dollars. To show us their arrogance in their sinfulness, Wells Fargo continued to practice this sin for several months after being exposed. They didn’t fear the law, the United States Senate, the people or even God. They kept defrauding people to pay their fine. Well, when these people have to stand before the Lord on Judgment Day they will not have seemed so clever. Their sinfulness and lack of fear for the Lord will haunt them for all eternity in hell. It is no little thing to sin against God and man, and then put your finger to you nose in mockery of them.
The United States and most of the world has the judgment of God hanging over their head, because their god of greed and wealth has removed all fear of God to trusting in their wealth. Where do you put your trust? Is it in Jesus or the things of this world? Remember the things of this world are temporal at best. Be wise and fear the Lord and put your love and trust in him.
Prayer: Holy Spirit, please help us to fear you, the Heavenly Father and Jesus. Help us to love and trust in you as well. We ask this in Jesus’ name.
