Shame on You

Take away my disgrace which I dread, for Your judgments are good. Psalm 119:39  NASB Disgrace – by now we’ve learned that shame in the ancient Semitic world is not an inner psychological state.  It is public disgrace.  Now we need to know what “disgrace” means in this ancient world.  The word is ḥerpâ. In…

The Promise (1)

“Do not fear, for I am with you; do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, surely I will help you, surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.” Isaiah 41:10  NASB Fear– Actually, I’m not afraid in the usual sense of the word.  I’m not even afraid to die. …

Removing Trauma

“ If the God of my father, the God of Abraham, and the fear of Isaac, had not been for me, surely now you would have sent me away empty-handed. God has seen my affliction and the toil of my hands, so He rendered judgment last night.” Genesis 31:42 NASB Fear – We are a fragile audience. At least that’s what the…

Divine Terrorism

“and the dread of Me is not in you,” declares the Lord God of hosts. Jeremiah 2:19c  NASB Dread– Of course God is the God of love. Certainly He desires to forgive. Without a doubt, He is gracious and merciful.  Yes, He sent His son on our behalf.  Definitely He cares.  It is undeniably true that He is the…

Removing Trauma

“ If the God of my father, the God of Abraham, and the fear of Isaac, had not been for me, surely now you would have sent me away empty-handed. God has seen my affliction and the toil of my hands, so He rendered judgment last night.”  Genesis 31:42 NASB Fear – We are a fragile audience.  At least that’s…

Mary Mallon

Because of all my adversaries, I have become a reproach, especially to my neighbors, and an object of dread to my acquaintances; those who see me in the street flee from me.  Psalm 31:11  NASB Reproach– Are you the Mary Mallon of sin?  Remember her?  She was “the first person in the United States identified as an asymptomatic…

The Anti-Isaac God

For God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power and love and discipline. 2 Timothy 1:7 NASB Timidity – “If I am to tell you who I really am, I must tell you about my feelings, whether I will act upon them or not.”[1] If this is true for human beings, don’t you…

A Biblical Contradiction?

How blessed is the man who fears always, but he who hardens his heart will fall into calamity. Proverbs 28:14 NASB Fear always – How can a man be blessed if he is always afraid? This just doesn’t seem to make any sense. If perfect love casts out fear, and we are exhorted to enter…

The Joy of Fear

How blessed is the man who  fears always, but he who hardens his heart will fall into calamity.  Proverbs 28:14  NASB Fears always – It is quite popular to encourage believers with the thought that we do not need to be afraid.  We are often reminded that Scripture tells us, “Do not fear” more than…