I just came back from Penang, Malaysia, where I drank water from the tap every day. It is one of the few places in Asia where westerners without local immunities can drink the local water. Here in Ho Chi Minh I have drank (drunk?) only about 2 ounces of water from the tap in 2 months. And then it was by mistake.
I fear what may happen if I drink the local water and so, like all foreigners and many locals, we buy large jugs of water, each of which provides our needs for about a week. My fear of what may happen to my digestive system, etc., keeps me from drinking. Healthy fear keeps us from a lot of mistakes.
Today I read the Ten Commandments given to Moses at Mount Sinai. The people of Israel are awe struck by God's display of power there: thunder, lightning, darkness, loud trumpet, minor earthquake, etc. They tremble with fear and ask Moses to be their "go between". They fear that if they get too close to God they will die.
But Moses makes this very interesting statement in reply. "Do not be afraid. God has come to test you so that the fear of God will be with you to keep you from sinning." Ex. 20:20 Those who are the people of God should not fear God as though He is an unfeeling, angry, Judge. On the other hand there is a reverence, a holy awe/fear that should grow in us, the more we understand the "otherness" of God. He is far above and beyond us in character, power and knowledge. Knowing who He is and that we must one day answer to Him should move us to reject sin which is disobedience to Him and move us to embrace righteousness. I wonder how many of us need a little more healthy fear of God?
For more on this subject see II Corinthians 5:11 and Hebrews 12:18 - 24
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