Fear and Awe

"FEAR and AWE"
by David Wilkerson

The prophets warn us that when we see God shaking the nations,
and perilous times befall us, our natural man will fear greatly.
Ezekiel asked, "Can thine heart endure, or can thine hands be
strong, in the days that I shall deal with thee?" (Ezekiel 22:14).

When God warned Noah of his coming judgments and told him
to build an ark, Noah was "moved with fear" (Hebrews 11:7). Even
bold, courageous David said, "My flesh trembleth for fear of thee;
and I am afraid of thy judgments" (Psalm 119:120). And when the
Prophet Habakkuk saw disastrous days ahead; he cried out, "When
I heard, my belly trembled; my lips quivered at the voice: rottenness
entered into my bones, and I trembled in myself, that I might rest
in the day of trouble" (Habakkuk 3:16).

Please note, as you read these passages: The fear that came
upon these godly men wasn't fleshly, but a reverential awe
of the Lord. These saints weren't afraid of the enemy of their
souls, but they did fear God's righteous judgments. And that's
because they understood the awesome power behind the
approaching calamities. They didn't fear the outcome of the
storm, but rather God's holiness!

Likewise, each of us will experience overwhelming fear in the
coming times of destruction and disaster. But our fear must come
from a holy reverence for the Lord, and never from a fleshly anxiety
about our fate. God despises all sinful fear in us, the fear of losing
material things, wealth, and our standard of living.

All over the world, people are filled with this kind of fear, as they
see their nations' economies deteriorating. They're afraid an
economic flood will sweep away everything they've labored for
throughout their lifetime. Such is the cry of unbelievers who have
no hope. It ought not to be the cry of the godly. Indeed, if
you're a child of God, your heavenly father will not endure such
unbelief in you. Isaiah warned: "Who art thou, that thou
shouldest be afraid of a man that shall die, and of the son of man
which shall be made as grass; and forgettest the Lord thy
maker- and hast feared continually every day because of the fury
of the oppressor" (Isaiah 51:12-13). "Sanctify the Lord of hosts
himself; and let him be your fear, and let him be your dread
[awe]" (8:13).

Let God be your fear and awe. That kind of fear leads not to death,
But to life!

SOURCE -

davidwilkersontoday.blogspot.com