Fearing God

My verses for today were Exodus 20:19-20. The reason they caught my eye and touched my heart was the seeming contradiction they contain. On the one hand Moses tells the people not to fear God. Then, in the next breath he tells them that the fear of God is before them, so they may not sin. What is he talking about? Do we fear God or not? It is pretty simple really. We do not fear to speak to Him, because He longs to be near to us. However, we fear His holiness and power, because we know He hates sin and must punish it, because He is holy. Therefore, Moses is right. Do not fear God, but be afraid of what He will do if we sin. It is a great way to live when it comes to relating to Holy God, who is our Father.

Tomorrow, I intend to read Exodus 24-26.