Saturday, April 29, 2023

Like most people, I used to have a wrong perspective of the “fear” of the Lord. I grew up in a church where we were taught that when we sin, we will be punished by God. This distorted my view about Him. It was only when I encountered Jesus that my eyes were opened to the true nature of our loving Father in Heaven. I finally understood what Jesus did at the cross was an act of grace, mercy, and unconditional love. When the Bible speaks of “fearing God,” this doesn’t mean we should fear God will treat us in a cruel manner. Rather, fear in this context refers to our reverence for God’s authority as our Creator and our submission to Him as our Lord and Savior. As a recipient of His love and grace, we begin to love what God loves and hate what He hates. As we learn to love God because He loved us first, we begin to fear disappointing Him out of reverence, for He is an awesome God. Fear of the Lord, therefore, is choosing to live according to the “life manual” God gave us out of love in the Bible.

Haggai is God’s gift that keeps on giving and is what Jesus used to propel me to full-time ministry. Since then, this community has been a continuing source of support. Through Haggai, I have been given mentors, friends, and a way to continue to be equipped about the goodness of God. I am blessed to be part of this family.