What is "Fearing the Lord?"

       When reading the bible, you may come across scriptures such as, Psalm 34:8-9 which state, "fear the Lord, you his saints, for those who fear Him, lack nothing."  The exact phrase, "fear the Lord,"  appears twenty-seven times in the bible.  However, you may have wondered, "what does it mean when it appears in a scripture like Psalm 34?"  Is it a command; like in Jeremiah 46:28 when the Lord instructs Jacob to,"Fear not!"?  Recently, I have come to understand its meaning; as well as,  the importance of carrying it out in one's life.
     My definition of "fearing the Lord," is to have great awe and respect for the living God.  The kind of respect that causes us to obey Him without reservation in every area of our lives.  This is not the same type of "fear" mentioned in Jeremiah 46:28.  In that scripture, the Lord was literally commanding Jacob to cease being afraid.  Often times, we bristle at hearing the word "command;" but obedience is not only right; it can result in tremendous benefits in our lives.
      If we look at verse 9 in Psalm 34, David states that those who "fear Him" will lack nothing.  The word "nothing" certainly includes all things spiritual such as love, joy, peace, patience, etc.; but I also take it to mean everything we need in our physical life too- including health and healing.  The Lord wants to bless us with overflowing gifts; but it is important that we respect Him first- Deuteronomy 28:2, "And all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you, IF you obey the voice of the Lord your God. 
     At times, it may seem difficult to obey the Lord in all situations, but it is possible!  Jesus stated, "if you have faith like a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, move from here to there and it will move."  If you are a follower of Jesus, then you have this seed in you .  God planted it there and it's your job to "water" it by taking small steps of obedience toward ever increasingly bigger steps.  In time, it will become a way of life.    One that was meant for every single one of us. 

Past Animal Stories

One day, I was remembering all the past events that have happened in my life involving animals of one kind or another; when the idea hit me to write them down!  So, here you have the beginning of those stories starting with "Lucky" the gerbil. 
     "Lucky" belonged to a friend of mine that I had worked with for several years.  "Lucky" was a product of two gerbils my friend received from the pet store believing the two were the same sex.   One of them was definitely a differing sex - as not that long later, they had more than a few litters.  On top of that little issue, the mother gerbil had a tendency to eat her young when/if she had too many.  As you can guess, Lucky was one of the gerbils that got away from her mother before she was eaten.  However, she no longer had use of her back legs. 
     One time, my husband and I "watched" the animals while the family was away in Florida.  "Lucky" and a few of her siblings chewed their way out of a cardboard box.  (Why they were in a cardboard box- I can't tell you!?)   We spent the evening chasing the gerbils behind couches, under desks, and through book cases.  Guess which gerbil was the last to be recaptured?  You got it- Lucky!!  Lucky had super gerbil power in those working front legs as she was the fastest & kept us running after her the longest.  We still laugh when we remember how she kept getting away on only two legs!    

Don't forget Mary & Martha especially at Christmas time!

     We have 11 days until Christmas.  Are you ready?  Is everything checked off your to-do list?  As the birth of Christ draws near, I find myself rushing here and rushing there.  At times, I can't even remember what I was last doing.  Thankfully, I get up and spend a few minutes in quiet before everyone else in my family.
      It is then, that my thoughts turn to Mary and Martha from the bible.   I'm not sure if your familiar with them; but they were pretty close with Jesus.  One afternoon, He came to spend some time at their home.  Based on the text, it doesn't seem like either Mary or Martha knew he was coming.  Mary seemed pretty laid back about it all.   Martha, on the other hand, is someone I can relate to.  She was rushing here and rushing there to get the meal ready. She had finally had enough and said to Jesus, "won't you tell her to help me out, already!?!  (I'm paraphrasing here.)  
        Recently, I came across a commentary by Joyce Meyer regarding this scenario.  It was her observation that Jesus' words, "Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is necessary," show us that Martha was too busy for intimacy and was choosing work instead.  Ugh, that hit me right where it hurts.  I now have to continually stop and ask myself, "am I choosing too much work over the important relationship(s) in my life?"  I mean, I know there is work to be done; but won't there always be something else to-do on the list?   This Christmas season with only 11 days to go, I'm going to take some time be more like Mary, in a very Martha oriented world.   

Philippians 2: the scripture that is setting my course

 I became a Christian eight years ago- that is; I willingly entered into a relationship with Christ where I consider Him to be one and the same as God.  I also made the commitment to speak with him daily through prayer.  Before that I believed in God; but didn't know if he cared very much what happened in my day to day life.  I thought He was very angry with me for continuously coming up short.  What joy, to discover that He not only cares what happens to me, but wants to communicate with me on a daily basis!  Recently, I came across the scriptures in Philippians 2 which state, "Do nothing from rivalry or conceit but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.  Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.  Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus:  Who being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, But made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness." 
     Wow, those verses turn what many believe we should do upside down and yet I have personally adopted it as the short version of what I am attempting to let the Holy Spirit accomplish through me.  It is not easy.  I'll be one of the first to admit that; but oh so worth it!  There has been no other experience on earth thus far, that has brought me the joy that being in a relationship with Jesus has brought.  No friends, no amount of money, no popularity, or substance that can compare.   So, I journey on as Philippians 2 now sets my course.  I hope that each day, you'll be able to see me as more humble and loving than the day before.  Each day, I hope that you'll see less of me and more of Christ...
       

I've Started a Blog!

Hi, I've started a blog called, "It's All Me!"  The only thing is, I'll probably be writing about a few more things than just me.  I'd like to write about my Christianity and the awesome journey I've been on because of it.  In that way, the thoughts will be all mine.  So, fasten your seat belts and get ready for the ride!