Original Entry:
February 12, 2009
McMinnville, OR
Who despises a vile man but honors those who fear the
Lord, who keeps his oath even when it hurts.
Psalm 15:4
I recently became a
card carrying member of REI for the sole purpose of taking advantage of their
famous “REI Garage Sales.” More
specifically, I wanted to find an amazing deal on a two-man tent for back
packing. I came to the conclusion the
hard way that this big boy needs room and comfort more than a lighter weight
alternative. The tent I purchased is a spacious two-man design, which led to
another question, “Who will stay in the tent with me? Who will venture into the wilderness with
me?”
The psalmist asks the
same question in Psalm 15:1, “Lord, who
may abide in thy tent? Who may dwell on
thy holy hill?”
Just as I am picky
about my hunting partners not just anyone can dwell with God. Psalm
15 lists the qualities of the man who is worthy to be in the presence of
God. Note that each item has to do with integrity. However, our study is on
“fear” which is why we will zero our cross hairs on verse four.
First, God desires
the man who “despises a vile man but
honors those who fear the Lord.” The godly man will choose a man who fears
the Lord over one who openly rebels against God.
2 Corinthians 6:14 states “Do
not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and
wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness?” All things
being equal, the man of God should choose to partner with other godly men
whenever possible.
Second, fear of God
produces honesty. “He keeps his oath
even when it hurts.” David Jeremiah
once said, “Integrity is keeping your promises even when the circumstances
around you have changed.” Integrity keeps its promises even when it hurts. The man who stays in God’s tent is the man
who is on the same page as God.
Are you worthy to
stay in the tent of God?
