How can we have a discussion if we don't agree on some terms. I want to lay a foundation, define some things, state assumptions. That's just how my brain works, how I begin to understand.
And for me, the first question is, "What is prayer?"
A conversation.
Second question, "To whom am I talking?"
God. Not just any god, but THE God, the one and only true God, Maker of heaven & earth. The God that has chosen to reveal Himself in creation and through faithful men who have obeyed and thus penned His Word. The Sovereign God that has ensured that all things written and preserved in the Bible are what He would have us know. It is true and without error. It is authoritative because it is HIS WORD.
Yes, those are my assumptions, but they are not without evidence. Faith is not opposed to evidence--it is opposed to sight. There is evidence of this Creator. There is evidence to the consistency of the Bible, to the reliability of how it's been preserved. There is evidence that His promises have been fulfilled--He has an awesome track record. There IS evidence.
The Bible is filled with HIS words to us--His side of the conversation. And not that this is the only way He communicates, but it is crucial to knowing Him, His character, His promises. And just like they train people to recognize counterfeit money by studying the real thing--we can learn to discern God's voice by studying what He's already said. All things we hear can then be tested, "Is this consistent with God's Word?"
Next question, "Why can we even talk to God?"
And here is the amazing thing to me--this God CHOOSES to have a relationship with His image-bearers. From the earliest narratives, we learn that He walked with Adam and Enoch, talked with Noah and Abraham and Moses.
But the story that has captivated my thinking for months is the one of His COMING DOWN to talk to the Israelites right after they'd left Egypt. Correction, right after He had delivered them out of Egypt.
[Have you ever noticed how many times this event is the very one that is used to remind the nation of Israel WHO God is? He is the Lord their God who brought them out of Egypt.]
Moses had taken them to Mt. Sinai. God told them to get ready, because He was coming down. And they got ready.
And He came down on that mountain.
And the people trembled with fear.
THIS is what I've been meditating on for a while now--and not just because it came up recently in my BSF study, but because this is precisely the story I've used when I introduce the God that we are talking to when we pray.
So what is the difference between "fear" and "the fear of the Lord?"
In this story I see NO DIFFERENCE. Fear is fear.
They were RIGHTLY afraid because of what they saw from the foot of the mountain. There was smoke and a trembling mountain and lighting. The mighty acts He did to free them from slavery and to rescue them from the pursuing Egyptians are still rather fresh on their minds. That God sounds pretty terrifying to me.
God is not a puny being that can be overpowered by us or anyone. He is Mighty and Strong and very capable of squishing us.
Sounds comforting, right?
Well, it is to me. Not only because there is SO much more to God, but because that's exactly the kind of God I want on my side. Rather, I want to be on His side.
What I know of Him (because of what He's revealed through His Word) keeps me from being afraid that such a powerful Being is evil or out to get me. I am not afraid because of all the other things I know about His character. He is good, long-suffering, compassionate, faithful, kind, loving, etc.
So, given that God is who He is, "How do we even talk to Him?"
I think that we can agree that because of WHO He is, and because He initiated the contact, He sets the terms.
That's the second lesson.
And I'll save it for the next post.
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