An Idea Borrowed

Years ago on a radio program someone shared that they read a chapter in Proverbs every day. Since there are 31 chapters and the longest month has 31 days it allows you to read through Proverbs on a regular basis. I use it as the launch pad for my personal worship time and branch out from there. On this blog I will try to share some of the insights I have in the Word. I will try to organize them in the archive by reference.

Monday, November 28, 2016

Happy Fear Day

(Proverbs 28:14 KJV)  Happy is the man that feareth alway: but he that hardeneth his heart shall fall into mischief.

This seems a bit extreme.  We are made “happy” (blessed NASB) (835) by constant “fear” (6342)?  That does not seem to be a winning formula, but there it is.  As we often see, this requires some thinking and understanding of what is really being said.  This does not refer to terror of the unknown or worry about a sound in the night.  This is not concern when the report says cancer.  This is talking about the fear of the Lord.

We hear so much about “Gentle Jesus, meek and mild” that sometimes we forget that He is also the Jesus of Revelation.
(Revelation 1:16 KJV)  And he had in his right hand seven stars: and out of his mouth went a sharp twoedged sword: and his countenance was as the sun shineth in his strength.
This is the same Jesus that we see in the paintings with children sitting in His lap.  Although it risks being sacrilegious, think of the children crawling all over the family dog.  They can pull his ears, jump on his head and put there fingers in his mouth and he licks their faces.  Let an intruder step too close and the teeth come out and the hackles rise.

So?  When you live in healthy fear the teeth don’t come out.  They are still there.  You know about it.  That healthy fear gives you a healthy sense of peace. 

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