A Good Fear
Nov2011

Related Posts

A Good Fear

Posted by Simon H on Nov 1, 2011 in Psalm 86:11 | 0 comments

Share

If you’ve clicked to share, please also consider leaving us a comment (see below)

—

“Teach me your way, O LORD, and I will walk in your truth; give me an undivided heart, that I may fear your name.”

Psalm 86:11 (NIV)—

If I said to you that I have ‘ambiguphobia’, what would your response be? Probably: what on earth does that mean? Ambiguphobia is the fear of not being understood — Ironic!

If I said to you that I have arachnophobia I suspect that you would know exactly what I mean.

In 2005 a poll was conducted in America asking people what they feared the most and it was found that the top ten fears were:

  1. Terrorist attacks
  2. Spiders
  3. Death
  4. Being a failure
  5. War
  6. Heights
  7. Gang violence
  8. Being alone
  9. The future and
  10. Nuclear war.

Perhaps you can identify with some of those?

The verse for this month talks about fear. Now often fear is perceived of being bad, something to be overcome, but sometimes fear is good. It can prevent us from harm or hurt and the fear in the verse is a good fear. It is the fear of God.

The verse is a prayer to God, asking Him, to make Himself the greatest reality in our life. The Person that we love the most. The Person that we least want to hurt or offend.

Perhaps you’ve heard the story about the boy who refused to join in with what his friends were doing. He knew that it would upset his father.

Laughing they taunted him saying: “Are you afraid of your father? Are you scared of your daddy? Are you afraid of what your father might do to you?” To which he replied: “No! I’m not afraid of what my father will do to me – but I am afraid of what it will do to him.”

Perhaps when you were younger and had done something wrong, it wasn’t the discipline of your parents that really made you feel sorry. It was the pain that you saw in their eyes.

Do you fear the Lord? Do you love Him? Do you want to please Him? Is He the greatest reality in your life? Have you built your life around Him? Do you live it for Him?

Perhaps part of you wants to but part of you doesn’t?

Well if so, then this verse is a prayer that you can pray. Teach me Your way, O LORD; I will walk in Your truth; Unite my heart to fear Your name.

.

.

Why not contact us today:—

  • To send us your questions, click here.
  • To leave a comment about your thoughts use the feedback box below.
  • To request literature about the Christian Faith, click here.
  • If you do not have a Bible and would like one for free, click here and we’ll see what we can do.