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The fear of the LORD!

The fear of the LORD!

The storm


“Thou, even thou, art to be feared: and who may stand in thy sight when once thou art angry?” — Psalm 76:7


When a hurricane hits the coast of a country, it unleashes its fury without restraint. Of its impending arrival there is much fuss, with warnings broadcast across a plethora of communication channels in an effort to allow the populace to escape the unrepressed release of its wrath. There are government departments and stations dedicated to watching for and monitoring the weather patterns in order to forewarn, with enough time, the coming calamity. In the eye of the storm, man cannot venture out and defy the power of its leering look, for he will certainly fall victim to its cold-hearted and cruel ire. Man has to seek refuge and hide – for it is to be feared. Yet why is it that God, who controls the elements, who created the heavens and earth, whose power has no limits, is not feared by man?
It is clear from Scripture that the falling away of man from God and the resistance of man to turn to God, is because men love evil and hate righteousness; men love darkness more than light. It would not require an exertion of intelligence to determine that this is directly proportionate to the decrease in, or lack of, the fear of the LORD. Without the fear of the LORD, evil is unrestrained. Without the fear of the LORD, men feel they are at liberty to sin. It is the fear of the LORD that is the beginning of wisdom; and the fear of the LORD is the restraint to do evil! Should God not be feared? Do we not have enough examples of His wrath and unleashed judgements? He wiped out the world with water; He slew the first born of Egypt; He cast the Egyptian army into the depth of the sea; He killed 3000 people at Sinai for their rebellion; He destroyed 24000 Israelites by plague for their unfaithfulness and whoredom at Shittim; at Jerusalem He put to death 185000 Assyrian fighting men in one night, because their king defied and insulted Him; and God has given us prophecies of His impending wrath to be unfurled against the inhabitants of this world for their sin and gross rebellion against Him – their disregard, defamation and defiance of His principles, power and majesty. The fury of the LORD is already harassing the coastline of society, and the unleashing of its judgement stands ready to advance. The full force of its decree only remains restrained by the hands of Mercy Himself, for He is willing and wanting all to embrace the fear of the LORD, and to seek refuge from the storm in the safety of His sanctuary.
Reader, if you have not yet done so, embrace the fear of the LORD and seek the salvation of God’s provision through Jesus and His work at Calvary; it is not weakness to do so, but wisdom. Consider the very word of Jesus, “Ye can discern the face of the sky and of the earth; but how is it that ye do not discern this time?” Contemplate the words of the psalmist, “Kiss the Son, lest He be angry, and ye perish from the way, when His wrath is kindled but a little.” Consume the words of David, “The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring forever; the judgements of the LORD are true and righteous altogether.” Make haste and heed God’s warning; do not hesitate to embrace God’s call.

 

Judson McCawl

 

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