Fear

   Let’s talk about fear! Sounds exciting, right?
   Usually, my first thought when I think of fear doesn’t involve a feeling of excitement. It’s most likely going to be a feeling of, well, fear! Think of some times when you’re afraid. Maybe you’re afraid of the dark, of trying something new, or of just stepping out of your comfort zone!
   Today, we’ll look at a different kind of fear: the fear of God. Please know that I’m no expert in all that the Scriptures have to say about how to fear God; I’m just going to share with you something God has shown me in my own life about fearing Him. Maybe you can relate to what I’m about to say. In that case, I hope and pray that this blesses you!
   A long while ago during my prayer time, I asked God to show me what it meant to fear Him. He gave me this verse: “The fear of the LORD is hatred of evil. Pride and arrogance and the way of evil and perverted speech I hate.” (Proverbs 8:13, ESV) Another passage that God showed me in this area was Proverbs 4:27, which says, “Do not swerve to the right or to the left; turn your foot away from evil.” I was really struck by the physical decision we as Christians have to make to ‘turn our feet’ away from evil.

   This led me to think of where we ‘turn our feet’, so to speak. Where we place our focus. We are the ones who choose. I found myself often ‘turning my feet’ to things such as reading, corresponding with friends, watching movies, or spending time on the computer. Not that any of that was bad, in and of itself. But inside my mind was growing the mentality that ‘I don’t have to do my quiet time with the LORD today. I’m fine to keep reading.” I didn’t realize it, but my foot was ‘turned’ the wrong way.
   Now let’s think on the flipside. If my feet were turned toward a book or a movie over God, then they must have been turned away from God, right? In short, I wasn’t living in the fear of God. I was making other things more important than Him–idolizing them over my Savior. Hoping they would make me happy.
   In a devotional I did for school, I read this:

“[Money] has the potential, as few things do, to replace God in our heart of hearts. It can become an idol. An idol is not restricted to a wooden figurine or a bronze statue. An idol is anything that we look to in order to supply what only God can provide.” -Steve Demme, Stewardship, Biblical Foundation

   I love this definition of an idol, and it doesn’t only refer to money. It can be anything that strives to replace God in our hearts. Truly I was doing this very thing when I ignored God’s prodding at my heart to come away and spend time with Him. And how sweet time with Him is! Yet I gave it up for the thought of pleasure from things that will one day pass away. These fleeting pleasures, in essence, portray Proverbs 29:25 for me in that it was laying a snare for me to turn away from God.

   So, girls, we must turn our feet away from these idols we make in our own lives. But is it simply enough to turn our feet away from these things? If we merely do this, we may go on and on, turning our feet first to one evil thing then another–for that is our human tendency. No; not only must we turn away from evil, we must turn our feet to God, and strive to do good. Psalm 34:13-14 says, “Keep your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking deceit. Turn away from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it.” We must seek God! We must pursue Him! He will certainly reward us if we do this. (Read James 4:8...Jeremiah 29:13-14...Hebrews 11:6!) If we diligently turn our feet from evil, and turn them toward God, He promises that we will be found by Him, and that He will draw near to us. And that IS exciting!
   God loves each of you so much, and has a marvelous plan for your life. He’s pursuing you, and takes great pleasure in you! (See Psalm 147:10-11)
   This goes out with a prayer that each of you would seek God with your whole heart and see how greatly He desires a relationship with you. Remember Proverbs 31:30, “Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised.”

Blessings & Love,
Georgie Grace