Do You "Fear God?"

"The fear of God is a Christian's safety; nothing can in reality hurt him. Plunder him of his money — he carries about him a treasure of which he cannot be despoiled. "The fear of the Lord is his treasure." Cast him into bonds — yet he is free. Kill his body — he shall rise again. He who has on the breastplate of God's fear, may be shot at — but cannot be shot through."  -Thomas Watson

Fear is a natural instinct. It has served man well throughout the ages. Undoubtedly, lessons learned by experiencing fear have helped us survive as a species from generation to generation. But there is another type of fear, too.

This fear is known as "the fear of the Lord," as mentioned in the Bible (Proverbs 2:5). It's different from the fear we are familiar with. There are two important features about it that are worth mentioning. First, the fear of the Lord is considered beneficial and something to be encouraged. Secondly, it is harmful to us and must be overcome.

Now, fear of the Lord doesn't really mean that we should cower in fear of Him. It's more of a worshipful or obedient respect of the power and glory of God. The total acknowledgement of all that He is comes through knowing Him. This means all of His attributes, including His wrath and anger.

There are many, many blessings and benefits that come with the fear of the Lord. We can select a few to illustrate our point. Psalm 111:10 tells us that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom and leads to good understanding. Proverbs 19:23 says that it leads to life, rest, peace, and contentment; is the fountain of life (Proverbs 14:27); and provides us with safety and security (Proverbs 14:26).

The other side of fearing God is not profitable to us at all. This type of fear is better known as the "spirit of fear" mentioned in 2 Timothy 1:7, and does not come from God. It is a spirit of fearfulness and timidity which is not beneficial in any form. There are, however, going to be those times when we are afraid and the "spirit of fear" takes over. What then?

That's the when we need to trust in and love God completely (1 John 4:18). Look, no one is perfect. God is quite aware of this. In fact, He has made a point of generously sprinkling encouragement against fear all through the pages of Scripture. From Genesis to the book of Revelation He is constantly whispering in our ears to "Fear not" (Isaiah 41:10; Matthew 10:31; Psalm 56:11; Job 13:15).

What have we learned about the fear of the Lord today? We have been shown that we should respect and obey God; and not to be afraid of Him. The Bible tells us that God loves each of us, our relationship being fortified and assured through Jesus Christ.

Does that mean that we call all run wild in the streets treating God less than He deserves? Certainly not! We need God to help us make wiser decisions. This happens when we fear Him (Proverbs 9:10). Fear of the Lord changes our lives in that we don't keep living our own way, but rather, in the way God has taught us in His Word.

Scripture: Joshua 4:24; Ephesians 5:21; Psalm 34:11; Genesis 20:11; Luke 12:4-5  

Prayer: Dear Lord,  I pray that I may be a good servant to You. And that I may always speak with love, be willing to be led on the paths of justice and peace, and learn and grow to be more like You. In Jesus name. Amen

Have a blessed day!

Makinzie