1 00:00:02,680 --> 00:00:14,040 Speaker 1: Life Audio. Welcome to the Crosswalk devotional. We are so 2 00:00:14,200 --> 00:00:17,320 Speaker 1: glad to have you listening with us here today. Today's 3 00:00:17,360 --> 00:00:21,159 Speaker 1: topic is respecting the Lord. We will return after a 4 00:00:21,160 --> 00:00:37,599 Speaker 1: brief message from our sponsor. What it means to respect 5 00:00:37,600 --> 00:00:42,279 Speaker 1: the Lord written by Vivian Bricker, read by Rochelle ALBERTI 6 00:00:43,400 --> 00:00:47,400 Speaker 1: Bible reading. To fear the Lord is to hate evil. 7 00:00:48,240 --> 00:00:52,880 Speaker 1: I hate pride and arrogance, evil behavior, and perverse speech, 8 00:00:53,720 --> 00:00:58,880 Speaker 1: Proverbs eight thirteen. Many of us grew up hearing about 9 00:00:58,920 --> 00:01:01,760 Speaker 1: the fear of the Lord. As someone who did not 10 00:01:01,880 --> 00:01:04,280 Speaker 1: grow up in the church, I didn't hear about this 11 00:01:04,440 --> 00:01:08,720 Speaker 1: until much later. However, I can imagine the anxiety it 12 00:01:08,840 --> 00:01:13,000 Speaker 1: raised in the hearts of children. The idea of fearing 13 00:01:13,000 --> 00:01:15,680 Speaker 1: the Lord suggests that we are supposed to be afraid 14 00:01:15,720 --> 00:01:18,520 Speaker 1: of him. When we look at the Bible, we don't 15 00:01:18,560 --> 00:01:23,000 Speaker 1: see Jesus as a scary, fear mongering God. Instead, we 16 00:01:23,040 --> 00:01:25,680 Speaker 1: see him being born into this world as an innocent 17 00:01:25,760 --> 00:01:31,080 Speaker 1: baby on one silent night, lived two eleven. Fearing the 18 00:01:31,080 --> 00:01:34,280 Speaker 1: Lord has bread many problems within preaching as well as 19 00:01:34,319 --> 00:01:38,319 Speaker 1: theology in general. This is because far too many people 20 00:01:38,480 --> 00:01:42,600 Speaker 1: take fear to literally mean being afraid, and this is 21 00:01:42,600 --> 00:01:47,720 Speaker 1: a completely reasonable conclusion to draw. Some translations include footnotes 22 00:01:47,760 --> 00:01:50,520 Speaker 1: to guide the reader. However, for most of us who 23 00:01:50,560 --> 00:01:53,919 Speaker 1: are reading the New International Version or the King James Version, 24 00:01:54,480 --> 00:01:59,000 Speaker 1: the word remains fear. When I was in Bible College, 25 00:01:59,080 --> 00:02:03,040 Speaker 1: a professor went on over the exact issue. Anytime the 26 00:02:03,080 --> 00:02:06,400 Speaker 1: Bible uses the phrase the fear of the Lord, it 27 00:02:06,440 --> 00:02:10,160 Speaker 1: refers to respecting the Lord. Our professor said, a more 28 00:02:10,240 --> 00:02:14,120 Speaker 1: accurate understanding of these passages would be the respect of 29 00:02:14,160 --> 00:02:18,920 Speaker 1: the Lord. To respect him is to love him. While 30 00:02:19,000 --> 00:02:22,080 Speaker 1: many people will continue to preach the message of fear, 31 00:02:22,720 --> 00:02:27,679 Speaker 1: we must remember that fear doesn't last. Love does. If 32 00:02:27,720 --> 00:02:31,040 Speaker 1: someone places faith in Jesus and follows him out of fear, 33 00:02:31,639 --> 00:02:35,080 Speaker 1: their faith will not stand. They will only be obeying 34 00:02:35,160 --> 00:02:39,160 Speaker 1: him because they fear him. With time, their obedience will 35 00:02:39,200 --> 00:02:43,320 Speaker 1: waver because they won't be afraid of him anymore. However, 36 00:02:43,400 --> 00:02:46,880 Speaker 1: if a person loves God and respects him out of 37 00:02:46,960 --> 00:02:51,160 Speaker 1: this love, their conversion will be true. Their obedience to 38 00:02:51,240 --> 00:02:54,079 Speaker 1: Him will also show up in their daily life because 39 00:02:54,120 --> 00:02:57,160 Speaker 1: they are walking in true love and respect for the Lord. 40 00:02:57,840 --> 00:03:00,400 Speaker 1: They won't fear the Lord because they know Jesusesus is 41 00:03:00,440 --> 00:03:03,200 Speaker 1: not out to get them or waiting for them to fall. 42 00:03:04,560 --> 00:03:07,760 Speaker 1: Far too many believers think that this is how God works, 43 00:03:08,280 --> 00:03:11,280 Speaker 1: but it is not true. God is not a mean 44 00:03:11,400 --> 00:03:14,280 Speaker 1: God who tries to get you to mess up. The 45 00:03:14,320 --> 00:03:17,920 Speaker 1: person who does this is the devil. God is the 46 00:03:17,919 --> 00:03:22,280 Speaker 1: one who is standing by your side, supporting you, encouraging you, 47 00:03:22,800 --> 00:03:28,200 Speaker 1: and lifting you up Romans eight thirty one. Intersecting faith 48 00:03:28,240 --> 00:03:32,600 Speaker 1: in life, the Bible says, to fear the Lord is 49 00:03:32,639 --> 00:03:37,560 Speaker 1: to hate evil. I hate pride and arrogance, evil behavior, 50 00:03:37,600 --> 00:03:43,080 Speaker 1: and perverse speech Proverbs eight thirteen. Once again, rather than 51 00:03:43,240 --> 00:03:46,360 Speaker 1: understanding this passage to fear the Lord, we are to 52 00:03:46,440 --> 00:03:50,760 Speaker 1: know what means to respect the Lord. Therefore, to respect 53 00:03:50,760 --> 00:03:57,800 Speaker 1: the Lord is to hate evil. The Lord hates evil, pride, arrogance, 54 00:03:57,920 --> 00:04:01,880 Speaker 1: and perverse speech. Those to adhere to these practices will 55 00:04:01,920 --> 00:04:05,880 Speaker 1: be brought to judgment. Those who continue down this wicked road, 56 00:04:06,360 --> 00:04:09,200 Speaker 1: ignore God's wisdom and fail to seek it will pay 57 00:04:09,280 --> 00:04:13,920 Speaker 1: the due penalties. Folly and wickedness will lead to falling, 58 00:04:14,480 --> 00:04:20,560 Speaker 1: separation from God and an eternity of pain. As Christ's followers, 59 00:04:20,760 --> 00:04:24,599 Speaker 1: we should have the highest respect for God. Respecting him 60 00:04:24,680 --> 00:04:28,880 Speaker 1: means we don't take part in evil or wicked schemes. Instead, 61 00:04:29,240 --> 00:04:33,200 Speaker 1: we will obey him. Jesus tells us, if you love me, 62 00:04:33,760 --> 00:04:39,000 Speaker 1: keep my commands John fourteen fifteen. The Lord's teachings are 63 00:04:39,120 --> 00:04:42,320 Speaker 1: nourishment to our bones and will fill our hearts with 64 00:04:42,400 --> 00:04:45,839 Speaker 1: extraordinary joy. If the fear of the Lord has brought 65 00:04:45,920 --> 00:04:49,479 Speaker 1: you away from God, allow this new understanding to give 66 00:04:49,520 --> 00:04:53,760 Speaker 1: you renewed hope. God doesn't want you to fear him. Rather, 67 00:04:54,040 --> 00:04:56,839 Speaker 1: he wants you to love him and to respect him. 68 00:04:57,320 --> 00:04:59,920 Speaker 1: By doing this, you will follow him all your day, 69 00:05:00,760 --> 00:05:04,000 Speaker 1: continue to grow in him and help others to know 70 00:05:04,160 --> 00:05:07,880 Speaker 1: about him. Did you hear about the fear of the 71 00:05:07,960 --> 00:05:12,920 Speaker 1: Lord growing up? Did it affect you negatively? How might 72 00:05:13,000 --> 00:05:15,680 Speaker 1: you start learning what it means to respect the Lord 73 00:05:16,080 --> 00:05:21,000 Speaker 1: rather than to fear him? Further reading Psalm one hundred 74 00:05:21,000 --> 00:05:27,920 Speaker 1: and forty five, eight, Proverbs six sixteen through nineteen, Ecclesiastes 75 00:05:27,960 --> 00:05:36,280 Speaker 1: twelve thirteen. Thanks for listening to today's devotional. If you 76 00:05:36,480 --> 00:05:38,479 Speaker 1: liked what you heard today, we want to make sure 77 00:05:38,520 --> 00:05:42,279 Speaker 1: you know about our sister podcast your Daily Prayer. When 78 00:05:42,279 --> 00:05:45,640 Speaker 1: you follow your daily prayer in your favorite podcast app, 79 00:05:45,880 --> 00:05:48,719 Speaker 1: you'll get a brand new prayer and devotional each day, 80 00:05:49,040 --> 00:05:52,599 Speaker 1: So your days begin in conversation with God. If you're 81 00:05:52,640 --> 00:05:55,359 Speaker 1: looking to grow in prayer or start your day with 82 00:05:55,440 --> 00:05:59,080 Speaker 1: your heart focused on the right things, search for your 83 00:05:59,200 --> 00:06:02,760 Speaker 1: daily prayer in your favorite podcast app and be sure 84 00:06:02,800 --> 00:06:05,200 Speaker 1: to follow the show so you get a new prayer 85 00:06:05,279 --> 00:06:07,640 Speaker 1: delivered straight to you each morning.