David was afraid of the LORD that day and said, "How can the ark of the LORD ever come to me?" He was not willing to take the ark of the LORD to be with him in the City of David. Instead, he took it aside to the house of Obed-Edom the Gittite. The ark of the LORD remained in the house of Obed-Edom the Gittite for three months, and the LORD blessed him and his entire household. 2 Samuel 6:9-10
I read these verses and I am struck by one phrase: "David was afraid of the LORD." David had a sense of awe and fear of the Lord. It seems to be missing today in leadership and among the people. We don't fear consequences for our actions; we don't fear the wrath of God when we dishonor his name; we're not afraid of God anymore. Granted, we are in an age of Grace, and God's not One to "zap" us every time we sin. Still, though, the reverent fear we in the West once had seems to have departed. This should concern us, because we have to ask, "why don't we have that fear anymore?"
Many of our persecuted Brothers and Sisters seem to have that fear and reverence. They know that worshiping and meeting together is illegal in their nation, so the things they do ought to matter.
Praying matters. Meeting together matters. Reading Scripture matters. Worshiping and humbling yourself before Almighty God matters. We can certainly learn from their eagerness and desire to serve God. Likewise, we can help them with our prayers. Our prayers may make the difference between life and death. Literally.
One response to “It Matters.”
hello brother in Christ! this is a very nice article. i’m happy to have found you on twitter. i look forward to reading more of your blog.
praying DOES matter! people don’t really understand just how powerful prayer is. every time i “boldly approach the throne” i am humbled by His grace. i don’t necessarily “fear God” (I LOVE GOD very much, and believe that He loves me too) but i do VERY MUCH fear being away from Him. every time one of my actions goes against His will for me, i am a step away from him… another brick is added in the wall between He and I. that’s how i’ve come to view it in my own way.
thank you for writing about your FAITH! your faith is inspiring. i love people who are strong and brave enough to share their feelings and thoughts about the Lord. GOD BLESS YOU in the name of the LORD JESUS! Amen.