Fear God!

CALL TO PRAYER

By: Stephen Osei Kuffour

Date: 09.07.2023

Title: Fear God!

My flesh trembles for fear of You, And I am afraid of Your judgments.  (Psalms 119:120 NKJV)

Our head Pastor once shared a story of what happened when he was young and decided to steal some powdered Chocolate which was meant for the family. They were seven boys raised by their Mum because their father had passed on. Their Mum who played the role of both a father and a mother bought a tin of Milo (powdered Chocolate) for the whole family. Knowing that children love sweets, she warned them not to take some except during Breakfast which she will prepare herself. One day, he decided to go against his Mum’s instruction to steal some of the Milo.

As a young boy who had learnt about the judgement of God from Sunday School, he didn’t want the Lord to see him stealing. He therefore closed all the windows and curtains in the room thinking that if there is no light in the room, then God cannot see him. As he picked the Milo and was about to fetch some, he lifted his head only to find part of the curtains had shifted and protruding light coming from the Window. He realized the Lord has seen him and so he panicked, and the Milo fell and spilled the floor. He was then caught and disciplined accordingly.

Whenever we are talking about the qualities of God, we always describe that He is love, merciful, powerful, all-knowing, faithful, dependable, trustworthy, etc. However, we forget that He is also a King and a Judge; righteousness and justice are the foundation of His Throne (Ps 97:2). Failure to recognize this has caused many to live in disobedience. They have no fear for God! The fear of God is not the fear of His presence. We don’t have to be afraid to come to God because of what Jesus Christ has accomplished for us (Heb 4:14-16).

We have not come to a mountain which cannot be touched but we have come to Mt. Zion where we can have glorious fellowship with our heavenly Father who truly loves us (Heb 12:18-24).  The fear of God is the fear of His Judgement. For example, we all know our parents love us and will go any extent to provide for our needs. However, we also know that they will punish and discipline us when we go wrong.

In the same way, we have to be afraid of what the Lord can do to us if we disobey Him and go against His Word. The truth is that the fear of God keeps you away from living in sin. I know a friend who wanted to fornicate and made plans with one lady. The day before their meeting, he went to Church and the Pastor preached about how all sinners will perish in hell. As soon as he heard this message, he changed his mind and repented.

Most people in this Generation do not fear God, and this explains the level of disobedience in the world. For example, in Ghana when someone steals from you and you announce publicly that you have placed everything in the hands of God, the Culprit will not return the stolen Item. However, if you should announce publicly that you are taking the issue to a voodoo shrine, the Culprit will quickly return the stolen Item.

It is very sad that most people fear voodoo than God. This is because most people do not spend time to really know God, who He is, and what He is capable of. There are so many examples in the Bible where the merciful God passed Judgement on many people and Nations. The truth is that the Lord wants to always show Mercy.

However, if there is no one to intercede on behalf of the People or Nations and if the People reject His call for Mercy, then He has no option but to give them the punishment they deserve (Ez 22:30). In Noah’s time, all those who rejected the Word of the Lord delivered through Noah were destroyed by the flood (Gen 6-7). In the same way, the loving God won’t go against His Word but will throw you in hell if you go against His Word and reject Jesus Christ as your savior (John 3:16-19)

Beloved in the Lord, it is very important to fear the Lord. The fear of God is not the fear of His presence but the fear of His Judgement. We have to fear God because it keeps us from sin and helps us to live in obedience.  It is a terrible thing to fall into the hands of the living God!

Prayer Point:

Let’s thank God for His Word today. Let’s ask the Lord to help all Believers to live their lives in the fear of God.

God bless you all