Oct 6, 2020 WWJWMTD by Steve, the son of John

What Went Wrong

(The 3W’s Series #7, the final article)

Fear vs Fear

Fear: To be in terror, frightful, alarmed, agitated, or worried. These are the most common attributes of being in fear; most of us try to avoid living in an emotional or mental state of fear. Fear can cause a collapse of our mental capacity to think and even to act rationally. Fear immobilizes people and causes reactions that border on insanity. Did you know that God expects us ‘to fear’ but not ‘the fear’ that I mentioned above?

The ‘Fear of God’ does not include any of the above attributes or emotional qualities. The world can fear God having the mental or emotional as stated in my definition above, but Christians should not nor ever be in such a state of fear.

The Bible says, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge,” Proverbs 1:7a. In fact, it states this multiple times in the Bible and gives stories or illustrations to this truth. I ‘fear the Lord’, not out of fear, but out of respect, honor, humility, and love. I choose to ‘fear the Lord’ in order to reverence God. I believe therefore I can fear the Lord.

I believe that everything God does, everything God says, and everything God is planning to do is righteous, just, and for my good. Job had to come to this realization, as also, did Jesus when God asked Him to die, carrying the sins, iniquities, sicknesses, and pride of each and every person that was, is, and will be on the earth.

Job 43:1-6 says, Then Job replied to the Lord: 2 “I know that you can do all things;
no purpose of yours can be thwarted.
3 You asked, ‘Who is this that obscures my plans without knowledge?’
Surely I spoke of things I did not understand,
things too wonderful for me to know. 4 “You said, ‘Listen now, and I will speak;
I will question you, and you shall answer me.’ 5 My ears had heard of you
but now my eyes have seen you. 6 Therefore I despise myself
and repent in dust and ashes.”

We try as Job did to dictate the purposes and activities of God. If only we would know God’s will and do that alone. It is God’s will that Jesus told us to ask for and pray in that direction. Job wanted God to restore what God had taken from him, and Job told God, “I did nothing wrong, why are you (God) doing this to me?” Jesus said a similar thing but with the proper attitude and with the ‘fear of the Lord”. Jesus said, “God, what you ask of me is too hard!” Jesus even prayed this three times for a change in God’s plans but in the end, He said, “not my will but your will be done, God.” Job had to go through repentance, humility, and forgiving those who criticized him in order for God to make things right and be blessed again.

Job had to find ‘humility’, the ‘fear of the Lord’, and ‘forgiveness to others’ to find the will of God for his life. So, where does that leave you and me? Will you be a Job? Will you do what Jesus did? Will you pick up your cross every day and follow Christ—as Jesus commanded us to do?

The last few months the Lord has been trying His Church. We have failed and still, God’s will is before us. We must humble ourselves and find forgiveness for ourselves and offer forgiveness to others. The choice is before all of us. Chose God’s will or receive God’s damnation.

The trumpet of the Lord has sounded. We have been tried and found wanting. We must repent and accept the battle before us to confront evil, unforgiveness, and find strength (as Caleb did) to do God’s will and take the mountain that God has place before us.

We must pick up our cross and then run to Jesus carrying God’s will, which He has placed in front of each of us. There is little time left—we must approach God with a shout, with praise, with prayers on our lips, and determination in our hearts.

This is what Jesus is asking us to do!

WWJWMTD

What would Jesus want me to do?

Dr. Steven J. Wentland www.wwjwmtd.com

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