Pillar #1 in the year of clear vision: The fear of the Lord
The older I get, the more I realize that things once clearly centered in my field of sight have become a little fuzzy. I’ve been praying, as many of you have been, about this new year and decade ahead, seeking God as to what my focus should be as I enter 2020. Then it dawned on me that sharper, clearer vision is something that I not only desire but also desperately need.
How convenient—in light of my deepest need—that the upcoming year is 2020! I have been crying out for clearer vision; and now the very name of the year will inspire me daily—I have indeed entered the year of clear vision.
On Christmas Day I read through some Psalms and found six scriptural pillars which will prepare and empower me to walk with clear vision in 2020. You’re welcome to claim these for yourself as well. Today’s post concerns the first Pillar.
Pillar #1: The fear of the Lord
Who understands the power of Your
anger
And Your fury, according to the fear that is due You? Psalm
90:11
The Lord takes pleasure in those who fear Him,
In those who hope in His mercy. Psalm 147:11
“But that stuff about God’s fury and the fear due Him—it’s so…negative!” you may be thinking. Actually, it’s quite the contrary! Grab a concordance and run the references on the fear of the Lord, and you will find an amazing catalog of treasures that follow the sincere fear and reverence for God: knowledge, wisdom, favor, and length of days, to name a few.
But what is the fear of the Lord? It’s certainly not paranoia; neither is it anxious terror or dread. It is simply the open recognition that God is the Author and Creator of all things; He is the One who determined that YOU would win the egg/sperm lottery; He’s the One who has always been a silent presence in your life; and He is the One to whom you are ultimately accountable. If you seek to live your life according to this understanding, then there’s a good chance you have the fear of the Lord.
How do I intend to ramp up the fear of God in my own life? I plan to daily remind myself that Jesus is Lord and I am not. I will be asking Him every day to help me make decisions based on His Word, His purpose, His leading, and His kindness; and I will ask Him to intervene—to tweak my conscience—when I start to move into selfishness, thoughtlessness, cowardly fear of people’s opinions, or when I wander upon any of the other hundreds of landmines that may be laying in wait to shatter my vision, my effectiveness…or even my life.
The fear of the Lord is not a bad thing at all. I find it comforting to read that He takes pleasure in those who fear Him—He doesn’t shoot at our feet to make us dance like the cartoon character Yosemite Sam did to Bugs Bunny. Instead, the fear of the Lord is linked forever in Psalm 147:11 with an expectant hope in His mercy.
So, Pillar #1 for 2020, the year of clear vision, is to walk in the fear of the Lord. Pillar #2 is coming soon.
Dorothy
© 2019, Dorothy Frick