"Hear this, you foolish and senseless people, who have eyes but do not see, who have ears but do not hear: Should you not fear me?", declares the LORD. "Should you not tremble in my presence? I made the sand a boundary for the sea, an everlasting barrier it cannot cross. The waves may roll, but they cannot prevail; they may roar, but they cannot cross it."
Jeremiah 5:21,22 (NIV)
I think many Christians feel that FEARING God is something that Old Testament saints did, but that those of us in Christ, have passed from fear to love (1 Jn 4:18). Our prayer language has changed from “Dear Lord Jesus” to “Hey Jesus”. From “Our heavenly Father, Lord God Almighty” to “Hi God”. In many ways it seems old fashioned, and archaic to speak to God in reverent, almost formal word. We seem to feel that it communicates a distance between us and God, and we don’t like that; we want to be close to God, and we want God to be close to us, so we use very common familiar language, after all Jesus came to earth to be “with us” (Immanuel). We ignore that fact that everyone who spoke to Him used a title.
FEAR of God is not old fashioned, nor is it Old Testament only. Hebrews 12 teaches us about the FEAR of God, and the book of Acts teaches us that only those who FEARED God responded in faith to the gospel. These two verses in Jeremiah are special because they give us the solution to the problem of the soils as outlined by our Lord. The Lord told us that He spoke in parables so that, “though seeing, they may not see; though hearing, they may not understand.”, and we wonder how we can avoid being people whose hearts will not receive the Word of God. The answer is FEAR. FEAR God, for He is the One whom the sea obeys.
The sea is a frightful power, it has the ability to tear huge ships in two, and to overwhelm humans and make them disappear. The tsunamis in recent memory make this passage very meaningful. Where would we be if the sea did not obey the boundary set by the LORD?
Contemplate the sea, the power of the sea, and its uncontrollable nature. Then realize the truth that waves obey His voice, they honour His boundary for He is greater than the sea.
FEAR Him who rules the sea.
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