The Sum of All Fears Is 2

Psalm 34:4 "I sought the LORD, and he answered me and delivered me from all my fears." Yet, just a couple versus down, "Oh, fear the LORD, you His saints, for those who fear Him have no lack!" Wait a minute...
So the Palmist is saying God delivered him from fear and then he is saying have fear you people!? Huh? Chapter 34 goes on about learning fear, and God answering the cries of the righteous. What is going on here?

I recently wrote to a friend, "I think what scares me is that commitment and a relationship that leads to marriage necessitates interruption of each others lives from their given trajectory, which in the end I can see is good, but it sure is frightening starting out." His response follows a little bit of what Psalm 34 gets at, "there are two types of fear. One fear is from God that would cause us to stop and consider what we are doing and the other fear is a seed of doubt planted by the devil in order to prevent us from fulfilling our Godly calling."

 Hm... there are those two fears again. One that would propel us towards righteous living, and the other that would immobilize and paralyze us from acting or even caring. Let's look at these two types of fear.

The fear that would seek to take the fullness out of life. My colleagues and dear brothers in Christ have already written about these fears. There is plenty of Christian literature out there on the topic, and I find that the older the author the more timeless the wisdom. Ultimately the Bible is full of reassurances that through life with God these fears can be over come. I don't want to give quaint platitudes, but it is pure and simple. The fear that the psalmist is being delivered from is something that we all experience. You know what it is. Recognizing that this fear is unhealthy and overcoming it in Christ Jesus is a beautiful and attainable thing!

How about this Godly fear though? That is an equally and certainly more profound a topic of discussion. This is the fear that we need to feel. The fear that re-assures us that we are alive and on the right path. All of our life's major decision have far reaching ramifications not only for us, but for our family, friends, and community. Holistically approaching this fear and all its subsequent meanings and manifestations is only prudent. What you do matters, and should give you pause to actions. To go through life without a healthy fear and respect of your impact seems to be foolish and like asking for pain and heartache. 

For me, I have two major life events coming up. I have made my decisions, and there is no small measure of fear associated with them. However, I am moving forward with them because no matter how risky they may be, I know they are the right choices. Is it safe? Goodness no. Is it right? I believe so, therefore I must act. 

I love learning the fear of the Lord. Sounds strange to say in our present age, but it is true. It keeps me passionate for truth and for communion with Him. It helps me have a right understanding of who I am. It causes me to be aware of the community of people around me, and creation that we interact with on a daily basis. "Fear the Lord, you His saints, for those who fear Him lack no good thing."  

For a closing I will share this poem I wrote some time ago:

How fickle the human heart,
The home of such vying desires;
Which reside and rage at odds,
And leave paralyzed the soul,
Frustrated with inaction loathed;
Opportunities lost, moments gone.

Though passion remains ablaze,
The choice, A choice made;
Zeal for living and loving,
Capacity to care through pain,
Loyalty, commitment to the choice,
Opportunities taken, moments made.