Fear and Refuge

How many great stories do you have about your Dad?  Since my Dad passed away in 2007, I have been reminded routinely about experiences I had with him, cliches he would use and different life lessons he helped me to understand.  One story that I was reminded of this morning was when I was young, oh about 12 or so I would guess.  Some of the local high school athletes got into trouble for drinking and were suspended from sports.  Dad was a big sports fan and a former athlete himself, as was I, so this prompted one of his "speeches."  I remember like it was yesterday, Dad saying to me, "Son, I want you to know that if you're ever caught drinking when your in school you'll have hell to pay at home.  I brought you into this world and I can take you out!"  WOW!  What I remember most at the time of him telling me that were two things: first, what is drinking and why is it bad? And second, the fear that I had of letting him down and that I would never want to do that.  I know my Dad loved me and wanted only what was best for me, but man did he scare me!

This memory was conjured up today after reading Psalm 2 wherein it says, Serve the Lord with fear and rejoice with trembling.  I have often struggled with that word, fear, in scripture.  I have many negative connotations of that word and different emotional attachments to it.  But the Lord gave me the story from my Dad today to help me gain a deeper appreciation of this concept.  Was the fear that I had a good fear or a bad fear?  What I mean is did that emotion motivate me in a positive direction or a negative one?  I would suggest that the fear I had moved me so that I was more obedient, so that I listened more and created a deeper respect for him.

What I see know, especially in this verse, is just that: to fear the Lord is to be obedient of His ways, to listen to His guidance and to be reverent of His power.  The Lord is mighty and can do many things in me and through me if I am open and committed to His ways.  He wants that relationship with me.  He earned it. He died for it.

Blessed are all who take refuge in Him.  Psalm 2:12

So in our reverence for Him and our obedient service to Him and in Him, He gives us security.  Security is something we all long for in life, yet rarely find it here. Security will not be found in another person, in an abundance of wealth or even in alarms and padlocks.  Security is found when I build a relationship with my Heavenly Father who offers me peace and protection and a love that is unending, unconditional and unwaivering.  I know that my Dad would have done anything to protect me, just as I would for my children.  Imagine how far our Heavenly Father will go to protect and provide for His?

We serve and love an amazing God!  Wherever you are in life, He is there to meet you, to lift you up, to protect you.  He doesn't demand that you are perfect or blameless.  He just wants you to love Him. Come to Him today and rest.