Read Proverbs chapter 1.
If you read Part 1 of this series of devotionals, you'll remember the Bible's clear call to be fearless during difficult and perilous times because God—our Helper, our Strength, our Upholder—is with us. All of that is unequivocally true. At the same time, some of you may have wondered to yourselves: “Doesn't the Bible also tell us that we should actually fear, as in ‘fear the LORD?’” What could this mean?
Read Psalm 111.
The first vehicle I ever owned was an Isuzu Trooper SUV. I loved it for many reasons—the spartan, no-frills interior, the five-speed manual four-wheel drive, the space to transport my mountain bike and camping gear in the back. The only customization was a sticker on the back window that read, “Fear God.”
My youngest daughter learned to swim by jumping off the side of the pool into my arms. Each time she jumped, I moved back slightly until she had to swim a couple of strokes to reach me. Within just a short time, she was swimming on her own. In those moments, her life was in my hands. She trusted me completely every time she jumped. Why? Because she knew my deep love for her would protect her.
A couple of years ago, I was using the library at the Nazarene Theological Seminary in Kansas City. I had spent a great deal of time there as a grad student and was fairly familiar with the area. After I had finished my research, I got into my car, told my GPS my next location, and headed on my way to MidAmerica Nazarene University. I drove carefree as I loudly sang, enjoyed the scenery, and continually pushed aside this little feeling that kept creeping up telling me I was going the wrong direction.
