FAITH CAPSULE: Fear God to love Him and gain His presence.
1 John 3: 7-21
The will of God for us is to fear Him. When we fear Him we become full of Him. Ecclesiastes 12:13 admonished us stating, “Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God and keep His commandment, for this is man’s all.” Evidently to know to fear God is to know and be consistent obeying his commandments. Obeying the command of God demands full obedience and not half obedience. One that fully obeys God is one that fears God. To be full of His fear is to be full of His love.
Fear God to love Him and gain His presence.
Do you fear God? Do you claim to love God? Do you obey the words of God? Apostle Paul points it out that the purpose of God’s command is to love God. He stated, “Now the purpose of the commandment is love from a pure heart, from a good conscience, and from sincere faith, from which some, having strayed, have turned aside to idle talk.” (1Timothy 1:5-6) Paul was not talking about love that flows from the tips of lips. Paul talked about a standard love that counts before God; love that is worthy to provoke God’s attention to acknowledge one for good.
To love (fear) God is to constantly dwell in His presence (His presence is His word) and not depart from Him. God spoke, “They shall be My people, and I will be their God; then I will give them one heart and one way, that they may fear Me forever, for the good of them and their children after them. And I will make an everlasting covenant with them, that I will not turn away from doing them good; but I will put My fear in their hearts so that they will not depart from Me. Yes, I will rejoice over them to do them good, and I will assuredly plant them in this land, with all My heart and with all My soul.’” (Jeremiah 32:38-41) In the above word of God, it is clear that the fear of God is what qualifies man as God’s people and not the assumption of others; it is not one’s title inside or outside of the church. Going by the word of God as written above, anyone that fears God undeniably takes a position to experience the goodness of God. It is also a joyous thing to God when we dwell in His fear. Without doubt, for anyone that is doing what makes God to rejoice over him/her, the strength of God shall never be a thing of lack in the life of such person. Why not do it right by fearing God and allow the joy of the Lord be your strength?
Prayer for today: Ask God for the heart to fear and love Him.