Recently, in my personal devotions I have been studying about the life of Job. I have heard it said all my life that if something is in the bible once it’s important. But, if something is in the bible more than once it’s REALLY important. Not even two chapters into the book of Job I see that God asks the same question twice;
“Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil?”
Job 1:8 and 2:3
As I meditated on this scripture, I began wondering if God would ask the same question about me. Would he point at me and say “Have you considered my servant Katlyn?” In all honesty, He probably wouldn’t.
The more I thought about this, the more convicted I became. I could never stay as faithful as Job did under such circumstances.
I have expressed many times that I envy the faith that the great men of the Old Testament had. I have wished that I was as strong and willing as they were. Abraham abandoned life as he knew it. Moses led millions out of slavery in Egypt. Elijah prayed and God sent a great fire from heaven to consume his offering.
What is the difference between the men serving God in those days, and the men and women serving God in these days? As I considered this question, it became abundantly clear to me. Today, we do not truly FEAR GOD!
The author Charles Bridges once wrote, on the fear of the Lord, “It is that affectionate reverence, by which the child of God bends himself humbly and carefully to his Father’s law. His wrath is so bitter, and his love so sweet; that hence springs an earnest desire to please him, and – because of the danger of coming short from his own weakness and temptation – a holy watchfulness and fear, ‘that he might not sin against Him’ “.
Wow! Do I have this? Do I have “an earnest desire to please him”? Do I have “a holy watchfulness” over my life and my actions?
For so long I thought I was doing everything right. I didn’t do anything really bad. I went to church. I had accepted Christ as my savior. I prayed, on occasion. I read my bible, sometimes. I got pretty good at going through the motions. But I had no real FEAR OF GOD.
Convicted to my very core, I begged God to reveal to me His glory! To show to me how great He is and how small I am! To establish in me a foundation of true and reverent fear for Him!
I begged to see Him move in a big big way!
And, GLORY BE TO GOD, He did!
God showed to me that He is still moving! He is still saving! He is still calling people to Himself!
I am still learning what it means to be “one that feareth God”. But, thanks be to God, that I have the opportunity to serve Him and learn more about His power and greatness!
