Delight and Fear

Our yearning: Peace on Earth (Read Isaiah 11:1-9)

As spoken by the prophet . . .
And the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him . . . and his delight shall be in the fear of the Lord (Isaiah 11: 3a)

As seen in Jesus . . .
He said to them, “Why are you so afraid? Have you still no faith?” And they were filled with great fear and said to one another, “Who then is this, that even wind and sea obey him?” (Mark 4:40-41)

Now given to you . . . .
Peace is not the absence of fear; it is fear rightly formed.

The one whom God raises up to establish peace and justice is one whose delight is in the fear of the Lord. That’s evidence of the life of God’s Spirit. This is what happens as God’s Spirit lives in us. The Spirit of the Lord produces a deep reverence for God, a sobering sense of God’s presence that is at the same time a great delight. This sounds peculiar to us – but the words of Jesus help clarify he connection between delight and fear.

Caught in the bluster and spray of a storm on the Sea of Galilee, the companions of Jesus were gripped with fear – the anxious kind of fear that says, “We’re about to die.” Jesus speaks peace to the elements, and then he turns and speaks peace to his friends. He does so with a question: “Why are you so afraid?” The implication is clear. Jesus is present; no need to live anxious fretful lives.

Great! No need to fear. But the friends of Jesus respond to this assurance with . . . well, more fear. “They were filled with great fear.” Only this is fear of a different kind. It’s the kind of fear that knows that God is present, firmly in control of all things, commanding the elements and guiding the most ordinary events of each and every day. This is the fear of the Lord. And it is our delight. Those at peace delight in the fear of the Lord.

Our fears are many, some of them common and obvious, some of them deeply personal and unnamed. What are yours? Both Jesus and Isaiah invite us to transform fear into delight. That is to say, take what you fear and place in the setting of God’s inescapable and powerful presence. Fear the Lord: be stunned at God’s detailed knowledge of every thought and emotion that fills your soul, every circumstance that shapes your life today. And then, by the work of the Spirit, be at peace.


Prayer:
Almighty God, I bring my fears before you now. I ask you to teach me what it means to fear you – and then help me to delight in what you teach me. Grant peace by the presence of your Spirit, both in my own life and in this troubled world. Amen.