Finding Delight in God's Fear and Hope

Devotional

Day 1: Sanctuary in the Fear of God

The fear of God is not about being afraid of Him but about dreading the consequences of turning away from Him. This fear leads us to find sanctuary in God, where He becomes our safe haven. When we understand this, we realize that fearing God is not a negative experience but a positive one that draws us closer to Him. It is a fear that invites us into a deeper relationship with God, where we find protection and peace. This understanding transforms our perception of fear, allowing us to see it as a source of blessing and guidance in our lives. [07:01]

Isaiah 8:13-14 (ESV): "But the Lord of hosts, him you shall honor as holy. Let him be your fear, and let him be your dread. And he will become a sanctuary and a stone of offense and a rock of stumbling to both houses of Israel, a trap and a snare to the inhabitants of Jerusalem."

Reflection: In what areas of your life do you need to let God be your sanctuary, trusting Him instead of fearing the consequences of turning away from Him?

Day 2: Hope in God's Steadfast Love

God delights in those who place their hope in His steadfast love rather than in their own strength or worldly securities. This hope is a source of strength and joy, drawing us closer to God. When we rely on our own abilities or the things of this world, we often find ourselves disappointed and insecure. However, when we place our hope in God's unchanging love, we find true security and fulfillment. This hope is not just a passive wish but an active trust in God's promises and character. [08:37]

Lamentations 3:22-24 (ESV): "The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. 'The Lord is my portion,' says my soul, 'therefore I will hope in him.'"

Reflection: What is one area of your life where you are tempted to rely on your own strength or worldly securities? How can you actively place your hope in God's steadfast love today?

Day 3: The Harmony of Fear and Hope

The tension between fear and hope in God invites us to explore Scripture more deeply, revealing that fearing God leads to His friendship, deliverance, and love. This fear is beneficial and draws us nearer to Him. By embracing this tension, we gain a fuller understanding of God's character and His desires for us. It challenges us to trust in His love and to let that trust guide our actions and decisions. This harmonious relationship between fear and hope is a profound mystery that enriches our spiritual journey. [04:57]

Psalm 25:14 (ESV): "The friendship of the Lord is for those who fear him, and he makes known to them his covenant."

Reflection: How can you embrace the tension between fear and hope in your relationship with God, allowing it to deepen your understanding of His character and His desires for you?

Day 4: Misplaced Trust and True Security

Misplaced trust in our own abilities or worldly securities displeases God. He desires us to look to Him for our hope and protection, finding true security in His love. When we rely on ourselves or the things of this world, we often find ourselves anxious and uncertain. However, when we trust in God's love and provision, we experience peace and confidence. This trust is not about ignoring our responsibilities but about recognizing that our ultimate security comes from God alone. [10:18]

Jeremiah 17:5-8 (ESV): "Thus says the Lord: 'Cursed is the man who trusts in man and makes flesh his strength, whose heart turns away from the Lord. He is like a shrub in the desert, and shall not see any good come. He shall dwell in the parched places of the wilderness, in an uninhabited salt land. Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose trust is the Lord. He is like a tree planted by water, that sends out its roots by the stream, and does not fear when heat comes, for its leaves remain green, and is not anxious in the year of drought, for it does not cease to bear fruit.'"

Reflection: Identify one area where you have misplaced your trust. How can you shift your focus to find true security in God's love and provision?

Day 5: Transforming Fear into a Source of Blessing

Understanding the fear of God transforms it from a negative concept to a positive one, where it becomes a source of blessing and a guide for our lives, leading us to trust in God's love. This transformation occurs when we recognize that fearing God is about reverence and awe, not terror. It is about acknowledging His greatness and submitting to His will. This fear leads us to a deeper relationship with God, where we experience His friendship, deliverance, and love. It is a fear that draws us closer to Him, not away. [05:12]

Proverbs 14:26-27 (ESV): "In the fear of the Lord one has strong confidence, and his children will have a refuge. The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life, that one may turn away from the snares of death."

Reflection: How can you transform your understanding of the fear of God into a source of blessing in your life, allowing it to guide your actions and decisions?

Sermon Summary

In exploring what delights the heart of God, Psalm 147:10-11 offers profound insights. It reveals that God's pleasure is not found in the strength of horses or the legs of men, but in those who fear Him and hope in His steadfast love. This passage challenges our understanding of fear and hope, which often seem contradictory. Typically, fear drives us away, while hope draws us near. However, in God's economy, these two can coexist harmoniously. The fear of God is not about being terrified of Him but about dreading the consequences of turning away from Him. When we fear God in this way, He becomes our sanctuary, a safe haven.

The passage encourages us to examine where we place our trust. If we rely on our own strength or worldly securities, we are misplacing our hope. God is not displeased with the strength of horses or the legs of men in themselves, but with our tendency to trust in them for victory and security. Instead, God delights in those who look to Him for their hope, strength, joy, and protection. This fear of God, coupled with hope in His steadfast love, is what pleases Him.

The tension between fear and hope invites us to dig deeper into Scripture, seeking understanding. By doing so, we discover that fearing God leads to His friendship, deliverance, and love. It is a fear that draws us closer to Him, not away. This understanding transforms our perception of fear from something negative to something profoundly positive and beneficial. It is a call to trust in God's love and to let that trust guide our actions and decisions.

Key Takeaways

1. The fear of God is not about being afraid of Him but about dreading the consequences of turning away from Him. This fear leads us to find sanctuary in God, where He becomes our safe haven. [07:01]
2. God delights in those who place their hope in His steadfast love rather than in their own strength or worldly securities. This hope is a source of strength and joy, drawing us closer to God. [08:37]
3. The tension between fear and hope in God invites us to explore Scripture more deeply, revealing that fearing God leads to His friendship, deliverance, and love. This fear is beneficial and draws us nearer to Him. [04:57]
4. Misplaced trust in our own abilities or worldly securities displeases God. He desires us to look to Him for our hope and protection, finding true security in His love. [10:18]
5. Understanding the fear of God transforms it from a negative concept to a positive one, where it becomes a source of blessing and a guide for our lives, leading us to trust in God's love. [05:12]
** [05:12]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[00:19] - Introduction to God's Delight
[00:41] - Prayer for Understanding
[01:00] - God's Pleasure in Fear and Hope
[01:29] - The Contrast of Strength and Trust
[02:14] - The Tension of Fear and Hope
[03:10] - Embracing Biblical Tensions
[03:43] - Exploring the Fear of God
[04:23] - Discovering God's Friendship
[05:12] - Adjusting Our Understanding of Fear
[06:02] - Letting God Be Our Dread
[07:01] - God as Our Sanctuary
[08:17] - The Connection Between Fear and Hope
[09:03] - Misplaced Trust and True Security
[10:42] - Conclusion and Call to Hope

Bible Study Guide

Bible Study Discussion Guide

Bible Reading:
- Psalm 147:10-11
- Psalm 25:14
- Isaiah 8:12-13

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Observation Questions:

According to Psalm 147:10-11, what does God take pleasure in, and what does He not take pleasure in? How does this contrast help us understand where we should place our trust? [01:00]
In the sermon, the pastor mentions a tension between fear and hope. How does this tension manifest in our understanding of fearing God and hoping in His steadfast love? [02:32]
What examples from the sermon illustrate the idea that fearing God leads to His friendship, deliverance, and love? [04:23]
How does the pastor describe the concept of God being our sanctuary when we fear Him? What analogy is used to explain this idea? [07:37]

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Interpretation Questions:

How does the fear of God differ from the fear we typically experience in our daily lives? What does it mean to dread the consequences of turning away from God? [05:12]
In what ways does the sermon suggest that misplaced trust in our own abilities or worldly securities can lead us away from God? How does this relate to the strength of horses and the legs of men mentioned in Psalm 147? [10:03]
How does the pastor's explanation of Isaiah 8:12-13 challenge our understanding of fear and dread? What does it mean to let God be our dread, and how does this lead to Him being our sanctuary? [06:02]
What does it mean for God to delight in those who hope in His steadfast love? How does this hope serve as a source of strength and joy according to the sermon? [08:37]

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Application Questions:

Reflect on a time when you placed your trust in your own strength or worldly securities. How did that experience affect your relationship with God, and what steps can you take to shift your trust back to Him? [09:03]
The sermon suggests that fearing God leads to His friendship and deliverance. How can you cultivate a healthy fear of God in your daily life that draws you closer to Him rather than away? [04:23]
Consider the analogy of the dog and the child used in the sermon. How can this story help you understand the importance of staying close to God rather than running away? [07:37]
Identify an area in your life where you feel tension between fear and hope. How can you use this tension to deepen your understanding of God's love and guidance? [02:32]
The pastor talks about letting God be our dread to find sanctuary in Him. What practical steps can you take to make God your sanctuary in times of fear or uncertainty? [06:40]
How can you actively place your hope in God's steadfast love this week? Identify one specific situation where you can rely on His love rather than your own strength. [08:37]
Reflect on the idea that God is not displeased with the strength of horses or the legs of men, but with misplaced trust in them. How can you ensure that your trust remains in God rather than in temporary or worldly things? [10:18]

Sermon Clips

"His delight God's delight is not in the strength of the horse nor his pleasure in the legs of a man but the Lord takes pleasure in those who fear Him in those who hope in his steadfast love so first we see a negative not in the strength of the horse nor in the legs of a man and then we see a positive but he takes pleasure in those who fear Him those who hope in his steadfast love." [00:01:00]

"Fearing and hoping don't easily fit together in my emotional framework if I fear someone I don't hope in him I hope in somebody else to save me from him ordinarily fear in our life is something that makes us run away not makes us run to it hope is something that makes us run to love not run away." [00:02:32]

"When you discover tensions like this in the Bible don't don't blow them off don't run away don't gloss over them get ready for exciting discovery I picture two two trees or two bushes or whatever growing and the two bushes or trees look very different and almost contrary to each other and yet if you go down deep enough you find a common root." [00:03:10]

"The friendship of the Lord is for those who fear Him and he makes known to them his covenant what a wonderful thing I get got his friendship and I'm in the Covenant if I fear him and then I see 34-7 the angel of the lord encamps encamps around those who fear him and he delivers them so I get deliverance and I get God camping with me if I fear him." [00:04:28]

"My conception of the fear of God has got to get adjusted here doesn't it because I'm I start with the reflex reaction that the fear of the Lord is being afraid of the Lord and being afraid of the Lord would seem to exclude everything we just saw and so I need to make some kind of adjustment here on the basis of texts." [00:05:06]

"Let him be your fear let him be your dread I say oh my goodness so don't let the enemies be your dread let God be your dread and I realize my initial effort to solve the problem was a little too quick then I have to somehow stir in the fact that other places in the Bible portray the fear of the Lord is actually containing what it ordinarily contains namely being afraid or dreading." [00:06:02]

"If you make the Lord your dread he will become a sanctuary if you dread him if you dread him you don't have to dread him if you dread him he will be safe you'd be a safe place a sanctuary now when you find something like that in the Bible you just scratch your head but you don't you don't walk away you say okay this is riched there is something here I need to see." [00:06:45]

"Dreading God means dreading running away from God dreading the consequences of leaving God and if you dread the consequences of leaving God he becomes a sanctuary to you so when I go back here to Psalm 147 and I read but the Lord takes pleasure in those who hear him in those who hope in his steadfast love now I see that the idea seems to be something like this." [00:08:04]

"God loves it he finds pleasure in those who look to him for their hope their strengths their joy their satisfaction their protection when they look to his love if they start looking away to other things then they should be afraid of him and run back to him instead and that's where I think the connection with verse 10 becomes so significant." [00:08:41]

"If we start hoping in our legs either whether they're strong or whether they're pretty if we start hoping in our our horses and the strength that would be our our bombs and our tanks and our guns or our security systems on our house if we start hoping in our horses and our legs then we need to be afraid and let our fear drive us back to hope in God's steadfast love." [00:09:16]

"He's not displeased in the horse as a horse or in legs as legs he's displeased in the strength of the horse as a false hope for victory he's displeased in the strength of legs as a false hope for victory God takes pleasure he takes pleasure in those who look away from all other things to him and he takes pleasure in those who are afraid of running away from him to horses and legs." [00:10:06]

"Let's that fear drive them too happy hope in him." [00:10:38]

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Finding Delight in God's Fear and Hope

Devotional

Day 1: Sanctuary in the Fear of God

Day 2: Hope in God's Steadfast Love

Day 3: The Harmony of Fear and Hope

Day 4: Misplaced Trust and True Security

Day 5: Transforming Fear into a Source of Blessing

Sermon Summary

Key Takeaways

Youtube Chapters

Bible Study Guide

Sermon Clips

Chatbot

Finding Delight in God's Fear and Hope

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