Evil is avoided by fear of the Lord

"evil is avoided by fear of the Lord." -- Prov. 16:6

Our family spent the Memorial Day weekend in Llano, Texas with Susan's extended family. This area is a lesser known part of the beautiful hill country. But a great place nonetheless. Our nephew, Caleb, married a girl whose parents own a ranch. We hung out at the ranch all weekend -- shooting guns, riding around the land in a Gator(a four wheel vehicle) , playing volleyball, eating, talking, laughing, reminiscing and worshipping the Lord. Nine of us spent all Sunday afternoon on Lake Buchanan, waterskiing and wake boarding behind my nephew-in-law's boat. What a joy it was especially to witness our children enjoying the time with their cousins.

Early Sunday morning during my quiet time, I came across this passage from proverbs and I thought about it a long time as I reflected about this family. Susan and her four sisters all married Christians. The grandchildren all profess faith in Christ. And already six of the grandchildren have gone to Christian universities. Now we're an imperfect bunch who have our differences and squabbles. And yet we experience so many blessings because of what Jesus has done and is doing among us.

After we had our Sunday worship time out in the open -- in a cathedral of open air and shaded by huge oak trees - we entered into a time of reflection and thanksgiving. We went around the circle testifying to what God had done in our lives in the past year.

That proverb came to mind again: "evil is avoided by fear of the Lord." I don't think that our children and their cousins realize how blessed they are to have parents who raise them in the Lord (imperfectly as we do) and to have the support network of believing grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins. The fear of the Lord truly protects us from a lot of evil.

What we experienced this past weekend was such a dramatic contrast from what I see in the lives and families of some of those coming to the Service Center each week who apparently do not fear the Lord. So many of them are ravished by sin -- either by their sin or the consequences of others' sins. Alcohol and drug abuse. Having children out of wedlock. Co-habitation. And I wonder about how many of them have had parents to pray for them, asking the Lord to protect them from evil. And who of them would have much different lives if they had a support network of Christian family members that modelled Christ for them?

I'm not saying that those of us who were at this family reunion are better than the ones I mentioned who come here suffering the consequences of sin. However, I am saying that I definitely see the truth of this proverb lived out among those I know who belong to Jesus Christ. He truly protects us from so much pain and heartache. And gives us what 1 Peter calls "inexpressible joy." And for His grace in my life and in Susan's extended family, I give thanks to the Lord.

Jim