It is interesting all the same: is the feeling of fear familiar to a believer? And if it is familiar, why? It would seem, that if God is near, we have to be afraid of nothing and nobody. It is of course like that, but after the observation of two very important conditions...
It is interesting all the same: is the feeling of fear familiar to a believer? And if it is familiar, why? It would seem, that if God is near, we have to be afraid of nothing and nobody. It is of course like that, but after the observation of two very important conditions. The first one: particularly God should be near.
Precisely Him, and only He Himself. We can, of course imagine that He is near, or be persuaded that He has to be here, it is a must, it cannot be otherwise. Emotions, particularly religious emotions are often very convincing, and theology can be even more convincing than emotions (although not always). Only that, in case of real danger, neither emotion, nor theology will help. Only God can help here.
He will help, if the second condition will be observed: in order to help, God must really be near. Certainly, nobody would have refused such. But, as a rule, by wishing to see God near, few are those who think that He will be with us only on His conditions, and His main condition consists of that, being near us, it is precisely Him who will determine the course of our life, and nobody else.
But we would have wanted otherwise: live in our way, and have God near as assistant in our deeds and in the realization of our plans. Well then He walks away, and take His place religious emotions and theology. And when comes a real danger we forget everything, we accept everything and we call Him in help. Good, if it is not yet too late.
1 In this chapter,
1:9 I commanded thee - I whom thou art obliged to obey: I who can carry thee through every thing I put thee upon: I of whose faithfulness and almighty power thou hast had large experience?