Supernatural Fear

"To fear man is natural, but to fear God is wholly supernatural."

John Flavel

Prayer for my children and theirs....

"I ask, Father, for my children and theirs and theirs that they say with the psalmist,

'To the hills I lift mine eyes.

 Whence shall help for me arise?  

From the Lord will come my aid,

He the heavens and earth has made.'

If you made all by a word, you can do all your holy will.  

I pray against despair, that worldly wisdom, that sinful independence, that unbelief that keeps our eyes turned down.

And grant my children to say with the psalmist 'My soul is athirst for you' fully sensible that your presence is the prize.

In Jesus Name,

Amen"

Sinning 0ut of Fear

Puritan John Flavel says that some of the sinfulness of fear is its tempting men to sin.  There is something to search our hearts about -- what do I fear more than God?

 Reading the Global Prayer Digest (www.globalprayerdigest.org ) we discovered the Dong people of China.   About 600 years ago the founding fathers of the Zhanli village agreed to limit each family to one daughter and one son.   To accomplish this they used herbs, and that failing, infanticide. This was done because of FEAR -- fear that there would not be enough land if too many children were born.

The Dong people have no missionaries, no Bible and no Christian broadcasting.   Who will introduce them to the good shepherd who effortlessly broke five loaves and two fish to feed five thousand men?  Having a holy awe of God will chase out the fear of want.