The Fear of God

"Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God. - 2nd Corinthians 7:1

We don't like the word, "fear". How can we fear God and love him, too? Think of the fear of God like the fear of law.

I am not afraid of the police, I have friends who are police and love them dearly, but I treat them all with the utmost respect realizing they have the authority and ability to make my life very difficult.

Some see the uniform and miss the person; some do that with God, too. Jesus shows the person behind God's law and He is good, kind, and worthy of our love.

- fritz

What Love Gives

After these things the word of the LORD came unto Abram in a vision, saying, Fear not, Abram: I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward. - Genesis 15:1

God told Abraham, "I am your reward".

Love always gives, but what does it give? Itself.

And that is enough.

- fritz

Love doesn't wait for some things

[T]hey watched him, whether he would heal him on the sabbath day; that they might accuse him.

And he saith unto them, Is it lawful to do good on the sabbath days, or to do evil? to save life, or to kill? But they held their peace. - Mark 3:1,5

Jesus was being judged harshly for healing on the sabbath, something the Pharisees thought was work.

His unanswered question reveals the way love thinks.

To be able to heal, but refuse - to make someone wait even one more day in suffering that could be eliminated - is the equivalent of doing evil and killing.

"As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith." - Galatians 6:10

-fritz

The Intended Target

"Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.'" - Jesus (Matthew 25:41)

In all fairness, one should note the intended target of the supernatural eternal punishment was not mankind, but the devil and his angels.

The fact that people will go there points to the cruelty of the devil who, according to the Bible, tricked mankind into separation from the only source of life. This can't, honestly, be blamed on God; there are things, on a cosmic level, going on that we are just not privy to.

The fact that God offers a way of restoration, at his great personal sacrifice, to ALL who will accept shows a profound love to our benefit, though we can't fully comprehend it.

"That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able ... to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge..." Ephesians 3:17-18a, 19

- fritz

Making the Longest Journey

Love ... Puts up with anything, - 1st Corinthians 13:4a,7a (Message)

Someone said the longest journey is the distance between the head and heart.

We have a difficult home situation with people needing to be there, needing to be cared for, seemingly unable to make personal adjustments to cooperate or even to just get along - it has been an almost constant source of stress.

My lovely spouse and I have discussed and grappled with how to respond in love toward the family, but though I can know this is God's path, it hasn't resonated until I read this verse again and heard God speak it into my heart.

"Love puts up with anything." I don't think this means that anything goes but that I, with God's help, can have real heart felt compassion and forgiveness as we live together.

- fritz