Be a child in the eyes of God
Isaiah 11:3
“His delight shall be the fear of the Lord”
When we speak of the fear of the Lord, a lot of us think of this as an old-fashioned concept. It seems at odds with infinite love and mercy of God. It may seem at odds with your own experience of God's love – his gentle call, his timely blessings. How is it possible that in this prophesy from Isaiah, which foretells Jesus' coming, describes the coming of one who's “delight shall be the fear of the Lord”?
In Augustine's sermon 103 (De tempore), he explains that when we fear the Lord, this means a fear that comes from love rather than from “the bitterness of dread”. Instead, as little children are afraid of being far from their parents, we should be afraid of being far from the Lord, or of finding ourselves outside of His love. So, in this season of preparation for the coming of Christ, we should reflect on what it means to be a child in the eyes of God. What if in your journey with God, you were like a young child who can't take a step without checking that their parent is still there with them? What would your life look like? The meaning of our lives is found in our Father's arms.
Take a moment today to think of the times in your life you have been far from God, and the times in your life you have been close to Him. Renew your commitment to live in that closeness, and to “delight in the fear of the Lord”.
A meditation written by Natalie Dennehy, a parishioner at St Augustine's, Hammersmith
Follow the Order of Saint Augustine (O.S.A.), Province of England and Scotland
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Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer everyone. Col 4:6