{"id":1133,"date":"2010-05-30T01:00:00","date_gmt":"2010-05-30T01:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.beliefnet.com\/markdroberts\/2010\/05\/sunday-inspiration-from-the-high-calling-the-blessing-of-fear.html"},"modified":"2010-05-30T01:00:00","modified_gmt":"2010-05-30T01:00:00","slug":"sunday-inspiration-from-the-high-calling-the-blessing-of-fear","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/2010\/05\/sunday-inspiration-from-the-high-calling-the-blessing-of-fear.html","title":{"rendered":"Sunday Inspiration from The High Calling<\/em>: The Blessing of Fear"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n
The Blessing of Fear
<\/b><\/font><\/div>\n

READ Psalm 128:1-6<\/a><\/div>\n

 <\/div>\n

\nHow joyful are those who fear the LORD
     all who follow his ways!
\n<\/p>\n

Psalm 128:1<\/a><\/div>\n

\nWhen I was a child, I was afraid of sirens. If a police car was racing
\nthrough our neighborhood with its siren blazing, I’d plug my ears and
\nfind a safe place to hide. During my first year in elementary school, I
\nhated the last Friday of the month, because there would be a test of
\nthe air-raid sirens throughout our town. At 10:00 a.m. on that fateful
\nday each month, the sinister sirens would sound, and my fellow students
\nand I would drop on our knees and hide under our desks for a
\nnerve-wracking minute. I hated that noise, but I hated even more my
\nfeelings of fear. Though I knew the shrieking of the siren wouldn’t
\nhurt me, I was painfully afraid. Fear, it seemed to me, was a terrible
\nthing. <\/p>\n

To
\nbe sure, fear can be agonizing. But not all fear is bad or to be
\navoided. If a tornado is blowing your way, the fear that gets you into
\na storm cellar is your friend. If fear of an accident keeps you from
\ndriving too fast, you should listen to that fear. <\/p>\n

There is
\nanother kind of fear that we ought to embrace and that can enrich our
\nlives: the fear of the Lord. When the Bible says, “How joyful are those
\nwho fear the LORD” (128:1), it is not envisioning a fear that makes us
\nrun away for safety. Rather, fearing God is a matter of being stunned
\nby his glory, dwarfed by his power, and astounded by his holiness. When
\nwe sense the awesome presence of God, we are inclined to drop on our
\nknees, not in order to hide from God under our desks, but because we
\nrealize that we can never hide from him, and because the King of kings
\nis worthy of our complete submission. <\/p>\n

We’re sometimes told
\nthat fear of the Lord is reverence for God. This is true, though our
\nuse of the word “reverence” can fall short of the implications of
\n“fear.” Genuine fear of the Lord permeates my life, transforming the
\nway I live each moment. Thus, when I revere God with all that I am, I
\nwill indeed “follow his ways” (128:1).<\/p>\n

Psalm 128 begins with the
\nunexpected insight that those who fear the Lord are “joyful.” The
\nHebrew word translated here as “how joyful” is ‘ashrei<\/em>, which
\nis often rendered “blessed.” This Hebrew word does convey a sense of
\nhappiness, but it often has a wider meaning. In Psalm 128, for example,
\nthose who fear the Lord and walk in his ways are joyful or happy
\nbecause their whole life is shaped by God and filled with his
\nblessings. <\/p>\n

Psalm 128 reminds us that the fullest and most
\njoy-filled life is based on the fear of the Lord, on a deep, abiding,
\nand pervasive reverence for the living God. <\/p>\n

QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION<\/strong>:
\nHow do you respond to the phrase “the fear of the Lord”? Do you fear
\nGod? In what ways? Have you ever experienced joy connected with the
\nfear of the Lord? <\/p>\n

PRAYER<\/strong>: O
\nLord, as you know, this language of fear can get us in trouble. Usually
\nwhen we are afraid of something, we rightly want to get away from it.
\nBut fearing you is different. The more we sense your awesomeness, the
\nmore we are drawn to you. Though we realize how helpless we are before
\nyou, we feel secure because we know that you are utterly good and
\nutterly loving. You will not consume us in the fire of your holiness,
\nthough you surely could. <\/p>\n

O Lord, may I grow in my fear of you
\nas I come to a clearer understanding of just who you are. May deep
\nreverence for you fill my life, impacting everything I do, each
\nrelationship, each task, each thought, each prayer. <\/p>\n

And as I
\ngrow in righteous fear of you, may I also grow in joy. May the
\nconfidence that my life is in your powerful hands give me delight as I
\nlive each day, trusting you, serving you, offering my whole life in
\nworship to you. Amen<\/em>.<\/p>\n

_________________________________________________<\/p>\n

<\/a>Would you like to receive a Daily Reflection like this one in your email inbox each morning?  <\/strong><\/p>\n

Here’s how . . . . <\/em><\/strong>
\nThis devotional comes from The High Calling of Our Daily Work <\/em>(www.thehighcalling.org<\/a>), a wonderful website about work and God<\/em>. You can read my Daily Reflections<\/a> there, or sign up to have them sent to your email inbox<\/a> each day. This website contains lots of encouragement for people who are trying to live out their faith in the workplace. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Blessing of Fear READ Psalm 128:1-6   How joyful are those who fear the LORD     all who follow his ways! Psalm 128:1 When I was a child, I was afraid of sirens. If a police car was racing through our neighborhood with its siren blazing, I’d plug my ears and find a safe place to…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":214,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[175,176,242],"class_list":["post-1133","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-sunday-inspiration","tag-fear-of-the-lord","tag-psalm-128","tag-sunday-inspiration"],"yoast_head":"\nSunday Inspiration from The High Calling: The Blessing of Fear - Mark D. 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Roberts","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-content\/wphb-cache\/gravatar\/f2d\/f2ddf5f080861f66ea230384f9d1bab2x96.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-content\/wphb-cache\/gravatar\/f2d\/f2ddf5f080861f66ea230384f9d1bab2x96.jpg","caption":"Mark D. Roberts"},"description":"The Rev. Dr. Mark D. Roberts is a pastor, author, retreat leader, speaker, and blogger. Since October 2007 he has been the Senior Director and Scholar-in-Residence for Laity Lodge, a multifaceted ministry in the Hill Country of Texas. Before coming to Laity Lodge, he was for sixteen years the Senior Pastor of Irvine Presbyterian Church in Irvine, California (a city in Orange County about forty miles south of Los Angeles). Before his time at Irvine Pres, Mark served on the staff of the First Presbyterian Church of Hollywood as Associate Pastor of Education. (Thanks to Janel Pahl for taking the photo to the right.) Mark studied at Harvard University, receiving a B.A. in Philosophy, an M.A. in the Study of Religion, and a Ph.D. in New Testament and Christian Origins. He has taught classes in New Testament for Fuller Theological Seminary and San Francisco Theological Seminary. Mark has written several books, including No Holds Barred: Wrestling with God in Prayer (WaterBrook, 2005), Dare to Be True (WaterBrook, 2003), Jesus Revealed (WaterBrook, 2002), After \"I Believe\" (Baker, 2002), and Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther (Word, 1993). His most recent book is Can We Trust the Gospels? Investigating the Reliability of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John (Crossway, 2007). He is currently working on a commentary on Ephesians that will be published by Zondervan in 2014. Mark writes a devotional for The High Calling of Our Daily Work, a website associated with Laity Lodge. His \"Daily Reflections\" can be viewed online or sent as a daily email. If you wish to receive this email, just visit TheHighCalling.org and sign up. Mark serves on the editorial board of Worship Leader magazine, where he publishes articles and reviews, including his regular column \"Lyrical Poetry.\" Additionally, he has published dozens of articles in leading magazines and journals. He often speaks for churches and other Christian groups, and has been interviewed on over seventy-five radio programs nationwide. Mark is married to Linda, who is a Marriage and Family Therapist, a Spiritual Director, and a retreat speaker. They have two children, Nathan and Kara.For Publicity Photos and Bio Statements for Mark, please check here. Mark's Dossier Professional History: Senior Director and Scholar-in Residence, Laity Lodge, October 2007 to present. Senior Pastor Irvine Presbyterian Church, June 1991 to September 2007 Adjunct Assistant Professor Fuller Theological Seminary, 1994 to 2007. Courses: New Testament Theology and Exegesis. Adjunct Instructor San Francisco Theological Seminary, 1995 to 2001. Courses: New Testament Greek and Exegesis Associate Pastor of Education First Presbyterian Church of Hollywood, 1987-1991 Teaching Fellow Harvard University, 1980-1983 Education: Ph.D. in the Study of Religion. Harvard University, 1992. Area: New Testament and Christian Origins M.A. in the Study of Religion Harvard University, 1984. A.B. magna cum laude in Philosophy Harvard University, 1979. Phi Beta Kappa; Danforth Fellowship Books: Can We Trust the Gospels? Investigating the Reliability of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Crossway, 2007 No Holds Barred: Wrestling with God in Prayer. WaterBrook, 2005 Dare to Be True: Living in the Freedom of Complete Honesty. WaterBrook, 2003. Jesus Revealed: Know Him Better to Love Him Better. WaterBrook, 2002. After \"I Believe\": Experiencing Authentic Christian Living. Baker, 2002. Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther in the Communicator's Commentary Series. Word, 1993. Contacting Mark: You can reach Mark at: E-mail: mark@markdroberts.com mroberts@laitylodge.org Phone: Laity Lodge: (830) 792-1216 Address: Laity Lodge 719 Earl Garrett Kerrville, TX 78028","url":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/author\/mroberts"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1133","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/214"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1133"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1133\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1133"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1133"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1133"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}