Psalm 128 NIV

Blessed are all who fear the Lord, who walk in His ways.  You will eat the fruit of your labor; blessings and prosperity will be yours.  Your wife will be a fruitful vine within your house; your sons will be like olive shoots around your table.  Thus is the man blessed who fears the Lord.  May the Lord bless you from Zion all the days of your life; may you see the prosperity of Jerusalem, and may you live to see your children’s children.  Peace be upon Israel.

Fear and courage appear to be fulcrums of the same lever teetering and tottering humanity.  If I am to have courage then I must first investigate or become familiar with fear.  This world, in its current chaotic state offers ample opportunity to confront and know fear, but what it does not provide is that stabilizing, chastening fear that comes from logical reverence of Almighty God.  It does however provide that bone chilling, arousing, sensitization, we know so well which makes us want to flail or bail.  It is okay to know that feeling of complete loss of self control and paralysis which accompanies fright.

For in knowing this fear we are however briefly, humbled and brought into state of understanding that we are after all, mortal.  Are not all these fears the uncontrollable whimsy that accompanies potential harm or loss?  We fear losing our family so we develop separation and abandonment fears.  We fear loss of respect so we develop ticks, speech impediments and people phobias to protect us from embarrassment.  And we develop all manner of avoidance, defense mechanism and tyrannical behavior to protect ourselves from the fear associated with personal harm or death.

The trouble is that all these losses pale in comparison to eternal separation from God, infinity in damnation and darkness and a world without form filled with unquenchable fire.  Fear of the Lord is the only rational fear that covers all the worldly concerns and provides ample protection from the coming effects of God’s Wrath upon the wicked.  It is fear of where I was headed and fear of what I had already suffered which provided the window into understanding the absolute loss associated with being an enemy of God.  When I feared God enough to humble myself at His feet, it is He that provided me the courage to withstand all the irrational/rational fears which haunted my worldly existence.  Through fear of the Lord I found the cross and was set free to understand His sacrifice, protection, love and promises, which armored me against any and all potential or real losses that may confront me in this life.

I fear God and that frightens men.  They do not understand the discipline of a kind Father who would not let His beloved child walk astray of His perfect will.  Would I be scared if faced with harm to my family or person, would I experience great anxiety at the loss of my home, lands or life?  Yes, but my greater fear is that I would dishonor God in my moment of whimsy.  Thank God that I may fear Him and in so doing become enured to the eventualities which may present themselves in my future.  Father it is right and sensible to fear You.  Thank you for keeping me straight in the path that I should go.  Praise God in the great Name of Jesus.