thirteen days...

Thirteen days... halfway through the twenty-five...
continuing to trust... for revelation and words...
wondering... What's next...?

He not only came to reveal the nature of God...
He came to show us how to live...
what nature to follow...

There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse,

and a branch from his roots shall bear fruit.

And the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him,

the Spirit of wisdom and understanding,

the Spirit of counsel and might,

the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord.

And his delight shall be in the fear of the Lord.

He shall not judge by what his eyes see,

or decide disputes by what his ears hear...

Isaiah 11:1-3 ESV

Jesus came forth... as a vulnerable... humble... shoot... from a stump of a nation...

We come forth... vulnerable... humble... from a stump of a world...

Jesus came... as a baby... to live the life of a man... one of His own created beings...

All things were made through him,

and without him was not any thing made that was made.

John 1:3 ESV

He emptied Himself... of all divinity... in order to identify with us...
to show us how this life can be done perfectly...

He came to teach us... empower us... to live... and love... as we were created to...

He came bearing... the Spirit of knowledge... and the fear of the Lord...
His delight... in the fear of the Lord...

God... as God... does not fear Himself...
not in the way we fear something scary... unknown... dreadful...

Fear of the Lord... is not straight up fear...
it's an understanding... of the greatness of Him...
and the reality of our dependence... weakness... littleness...
before Him...

Fear of the Lord is rooted in humility...

Jesus... the exact imprint of God as man... teaching us how to live... possesses true knowledge... of God's power... righteousness... judgment... therefore... He bears... the fear of the Lord... and finds delight in it...

Genuine faith is expressed in, and animated by, a reverential awe, and this is the basic meaning of the biblical idea of the fear of God. Unless there is personal awareness of the awesome and majestic sovereignty of God, it is impossible to have a meaningful faith existing in one's heart...

---Tyndale Bible Dictionary 

Jesus... teaches us first... a proper fear of the Lord...

He... in His perfect faith... teaches us... perfect faith...
not out of dread... or fear of punishment...
but because He knows... has first-hand knowledge... of God...

But I, through the abundance of your steadfast love,

will enter your house.

I will bow down toward your holy temple

in the fear of you.

Lead me, O Lord, in your righteousness

because of my enemies;

make your way straight before me.

Psalm 5:7-8 ESV

Jesus... the manifestation...  of the abundance of God's steadfast love...

Through Him... we can enter His house to... worship... praise... commune... live...

If the Spirit on Him... produced fear of the Lord...
it should in us too...

When we know... become aware...
of who He is... even just a little...
awe... wonder... marvel... should fill our hearts...

Do you know Him...? do you fear Him...?

Lord... I long to know You better...

teach me to delight in the fear of the Lord...

I want to know You... not who I think You should be...