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Fear
of God
God’s Wrath
A little Scottish boy
wouldn’t eat his prunes
so his mother sent him off to bed saying
“God is
angry at you.”
Soon
after the boy went to his room a violent storm broke out. Amidst flashes of
lightning and peals of thunder
the mother looked into the boy’s room
worried
that he would be terrified. When she opened the door she found him looking out
the window muttering
“My
such a fuss to make over a few prunes.” ── Michael
P. Green《Illustrations for Biblical Preaching》
David McCullough in his
book Mornings on Horseback tells this story about young Teddy Roosevelt:
"Mittie (his mother) had found he was so afraid of the Madison Square
Church that he refused to set foot inside if alone. He was terrified
she
discovered
of something called the 'zeal.' It was crouched in the dark corners
of the church ready to jump at him
he said. When she asked what a zeal might
be
he said he was not sure
but thought it was probably a large animal like an
alligator or a dragon. He had heard the minister read about if from the Bible.
Using a concordance
she read him those passages containing the word ZEAL until
suddenly
very excited
he told her to stop. The line was from the Book of
John
2:17: 'And his disciples remembered that it was written
'The ZEAL of
thine house hath eaten me up"'" People are still justifiably afraid
to come near the "zeal" of the Lord
for they are perfectly aware it
could "eat them up" if they aren't one of His. Our Lord is good
but
He isn't safe.── David McCullough.
In The Chronicles of
Narnia
an allegory by C.S. Lewis
the author has two girls
Susan and Lucy
getting ready to meet Aslan the lion
who represents Christ. Two talking
animals
Mr. and Mrs. Beaver
prepare the children for the encounter.
"Ooh
" said Susan
"I though he was a man. Is he quite safe? I
shall feel rather nervous about meeting a lion." "That you will
dearie." said Mrs. Beaver. "And make no mistake
if there's anyone who
can appear before Aslan without their knee's knocking
they're either braver
than most or else just silly."
"Then isn't he
safe?" said Lucy. "Safe?" said Mr. Beaver. "Don't you hear
what Mrs. Beaver tells you? Who said anything about safe? Of course he isn't
safe. But he's good. He's the king
I tell you!"
Our Daily Bread
February 17
1994.
We fear men so much
because we fear God so little.
William Gurnall.
One time many years ago
the king of Hungary found himself depressed and unhappy. He sent for his
brother
a good-natured but rather indifferent prince. The king said to him
"I am a great sinner; I fear to meet God." But the prince only
laughed at him. This didn't help the king's disposition any. Though he was a
believer
the king had gotten a glimpse of his guilt for the way he'd been
living lately
and he seriously wanted help. In those days it was customary if
the executioner sounded a trumpet before a man's door at any hour
it was a
signal that he was to be led to his execution. The king sent the executioner in
the dead of night to sound the fateful blast at his brother's door. The prince
realized with horror what was happening. Quickly dressing
he stepped to the
door and was seized by the executioner
and dragged pale and trembling into the
king's presence. In an agony of terror he fell on his knees before his brother
and begged to know how he had offended him. "My brother
" answered
the king
"if the sight of a human executioner is so terrible to you
shall not I
having grievously offended God
fear to be brought before the
judgment seat of Christ?"
Walk Through Rewards.
David McCullough in his
book Mornings On Horseback tells this story about young Teddy Roosevelt:
Mittie (his mother) had found he was so afraid of the Madison Square Church
that he refused to set foot inside if alone. He was terrified
she discovered
of something called the "zeal." It was crouched in the dark corners
of the church ready to jump at him
he said. When she asked what a zeal might
be
he said he was not sure
but thought it was probably a large animal like an
alligator or a dragon. He had heard the minister read about it from the Bible.
Using a concordance
she read him those passages containing the word ZEAL until
suddenly
very excited
he told her to stop. The line was from the Book of
John
2:17: "And his disciples remembered that it was written
'The ZEAL
of thine house hath eaten me up'" People are still justifiably afraid to
come near the "zeal" of the Lord
for they are perfectly aware it
could "eat them up" if they aren't one of His. Our Lord is good
but
He isn't safe.
David McCullough
Mornings
On Horseback.
Seeking to know God
better
John Chrysostom became a hermit in the mountains near Antioch in A.D.
373. Although his time of isolation was cut short by illness
he learned that
with God at his side
he could atand alone against anyone or anything. That
lesson served Chrysostom well. IN A.D. 398 he was appointed patriarch of
Constantinople
where his zeal for reform antagonized the Empress Eudoxia
who
had him exiled. Allowed to return after a short time
Chrysostom again
infuriated Eudoxia
who sent him away again. How did Chrysostom respond to such
persecution? With these words: "What can I fear? Will it be death? But you
know that Christ is my life
and that I shall gain by death. Will it be exile?
But the earth and all its fullness are the Lord's. Poverty I do not fear;
riches I do not sigh for; and from death I do not shrink."
Today in the Word
MBI
October
1991
p. 33.