Daily Lesson for October 29, 2021

 Today's Daily Lesson comes from Revelation chapter 6 verses 12 through 17:

12 When he opened the sixth seal, I looked, and there came a great earthquake; the sun became black as sackcloth, the full moon became like blood, 13and the stars of the sky fell to the earth as the fig tree drops its winter fruit when shaken by a gale. 14The sky vanished like a scroll rolling itself up, and every mountain and island was removed from its place. 15Then the kings of the earth and the magnates and the generals and the rich and the powerful, and everyone, slave and free, hid in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains, 16calling to the mountains and rocks, ‘Fall on us and hide us from the face of the one seated on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb; 17for the great day of their wrath has come, and who is able to stand?’

I grew up in the last vestiges of the Southern revival culture and so heard a lot of hell, fire, and brimstone preachers as a kid. In fact, it was my experience, that along with hell, fire, and brimstone, these guys (always guys) also served up a whole lot of spit. As a kid, it was all very scary to hear -- and watch.

I am not a hell, fire, and brimstone, preacher. Though occasionally some spit may make its way off my tangled tongue. Nevertheless, I do recognize that the fear of the Lord has its place. And if it wasn't but for fear I don't know that I would have ever surrendered.

Fear -- a sense of great moral accountability turned around the direction of my life. I can't say where I'd be without that great sense that I would one day stand before the judge of all history and hearts and at least say I ran the race. That was the most important moment in my adult life because I realized -- as Marney would say -- it was too late to be innocent, so then necessary to learn to be "responsibly guility".

Walter Brueggeman (I'm thankful to Ken Sehested for pointing it out) that the "Fear of God" is "liberating and not restrictive, because it gives confidence about the true shape of the world . . . 'Fear of God' is a summons to disengage from modes of social relationships than not only alienate from Yahweh, but also from neighbor."

I am grateful for that kind of fear.

John Donne once wrote:

"The love of God begins in fear

And the fear of God ends in love"

For me, they came at the same exact time. There was an overwhelming sense of both fear and love, conviction and release. It bound me and it freed me at the same time.

I thank God for it all.

John Newton wrote:

'Twas grace that taught mine heart to fear

And grace my fears relieved

It is the sweet terror of God's grace that drives us to grace. And how precious is that grace the hour we first believe and finally know that God is love, always, in both summons and sentence.

Ryon Price is Senior Pastor of Broadway Baptist Church in Fort Worth, Texas.