A Beautiful Fear

“It is the Lord of hosts who you should regard as holy.  And He shall be your fear, and He shall be your dread.

Then He shall become a sanctuary.” Isaiah 8:13-14

Is that ‘then’ important?  Is it only after we learn and commit to regard God as holy, only after we fear Him that He becomes our sanctuary?

Is this in part because our fear can keep us safe? Good parenting often involves a little fear.  I don’t really care if the motivation to obey me is fear of getting in trouble when that means they won’t play with matches or cross the street alone.  My children may not understand WHY I am putting certain boundaries on them.  At the time, their understanding is less important than their obedience since my goal is to protect them and keep them safe.

As our children grow older, hopefully the fear factor morphs into a trust factor.  Maybe they fear a little less getting into trouble and begin to trust that our rules are meant for their benefit.  Or they just fear being grounded so they come in before curfew! I still prioritize obedience over understanding since my goal is still to protect them.

As a child of God, am I guilty of prioritizing understanding over obedience? If so, I’m acting just like my teenagers when they throw fits and tell me my rules are ridiculous.  I’m acting just like I did with my parents when I challenged their rule about no boys in the house when they were gone. “Ugh! What a stupid rule! Don’t they trust me?”

Is it possible that in many situations I am incapable of understanding why the Lord has laid out certain instructions? I somewhat recoil from the idea of ‘fearing’ the Lord, but maybe there is such a thing as a healthy fear, a fear that keeps me on the straight and narrow when I face temptation.

One of our ladies at Bible study shared that she so respected and loved her father, that while at college her ‘fear’ of him kept her from making certain poor choices.  Her fear was breaking her father’s heart.

I think that is a beautiful fear.  Could I be so in touch with the heart of God and so overwhelmed by His love for me that concern over grieving my Father motivates my daily decisions?

Do not just fear breaking His law; fear breaking His heart.

Yes, Lord!!

“Then I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?”  Then I said, “Here am I. Send me!” Isaiah 6:8

Why does this verse prick my heart?  I want to be one that without hesitation responds, “Here I am, send me!” when the Lord calls.  I want to be like Isaiah or like Mary who asked one question and then responded, “I am the bondslave of the Lord; may it be to me according to your word.”  However, I fear I would make excuses like Jeremiah.  Or come up with lots of reasons why I should not be chosen like Moses.  Or worse, run in the opposite direction like Jonah.

Thankfully, I know how Jeremiah, Moses and Jonah responded to the call of God because they made the Book too!  The Bible is not just full of success stories, accounts of those flawless individuals who made no mistakes, never wondered, never doubted and never feared.  Gloriously, the Bible is full of human failures, human mistakes, human doubts, human unbelief.  In summary, the Bible is full of human sin.

God answered Jeremiah’s concerns with a personal experience, and further opportunities show Jeremiah’s growth and confidence when he obeyed without question some specific and seemingly crazy instructions.  God countered every argument/excuse Moses came up with, and Moses proceeded to become a remarkable yet imperfect leader who spoke face to face with God just as a man speaks to his friend. And God demanded Jonah’s full attention in a most unlikely way, transforming a recalcitrant servant of God into an effective if volatile prophet.

How will I respond when I hear the voice of the Lord?  I HOPE with, “Here I am; send me.” Nevertheless, the story is always less about me and more about the Lord.  If He can bring a prophet from the belly of a fish, He can overcome the doubt, fear and sin of a disciple hiding behind her insecurities and rationalizations.  It is less about what I think I can do and more about what God WILL do through someone who will say, “Yes!”