Fear of the Lord

 Meditations on The Acts of the Apostles

February 16, 2021

Fear of the Lord

Living in the fear of the Lord and encouraged by the Holy Spirit, (the church) increased in numbers.

Acts 9:31

Read: Acts 9:19b-31

First, a few tidbits for context. It is not until Paul’s first missionary journey in chapter 13 that the name Paul is introduced. There is no explanation other than simply stating “Saul, also known as Paul.” (13:9) From that point only the name Paul is used. At the end of today’s reading, Saul sails from Caesarea to Tarsus. Caesarea is on the Mediterranean coast northwest of Jerusalem. Tarsus is in Turkey to the north of Caesarea and across the Mediterranean Sea. Saul remained in Tarsus until a revival broke out in Antioch (also in Turkey) and Saul was summoned there to assist in the work.

Two things stand out to me in today’s reading. First, Saul was so persistent in speaking boldly in the name of the Lord, even in the face of death threats, both in Damascus and Jerusalem. Secondly, the phrase, “Living in the fear of the Lord” caught my attention. Fear of the Lord is not afraid of the Lord. Again, I go back to Hebrews 12:28-29, “Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, for our “God is a consuming fire.”

My Takeaway: I am writing this mediation on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, and I remember worshiping in St. Peter’s Anglican Cathedral in Tallahassee on this weekend last year. That church modeled for me worshiping God with reverence and awe. It was joyful, edifying, and transformative. That experience also modeled for me what it can mean to live in the fear of the Lord.

Sē’lah

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(Selah is a word that appears in the Book of Psalms that I often use as the Complimentary Closing in my correspondence. Its meaning, as I use the word, is to pause and think about these things.)

 

These meditations are written by Alex M. Knight as he seeks the life in Christ as his way of life.  The meditations are published on the BLOG, http://seekingthelifeinchrist.blogspot.com/ and they are also distributed on the Constant Contact email server. You may subscribe to this email service by sending an email to: amkrom812@gmail.com.

 

Copyright © 2021 by Alex M. Knight

 

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