Fear the Lord and Fear Not; Awe and Reverence for God

Scriptures: Job 3:24-26, Job 28:20-28, Jeremiah 10:7

What is Fear of the Lord? 

Fear is one of the most destructive forces in the world. It can kill us and is one of the greatest destroyers of motivation. Two definitions of fear are: 

• Feeling of anxiety and agitation caused by the presence or nearness of danger, pain, etc. 
• Respectful dread that leads to awe and reverence. 

In a broad sense, fear can be an obsession with anything or anyone. To fear something or someone other than God is idolatry – like sickness, criticism, losing a job, failure, etc. We’re placing something or someone else on the throne of our heart instead of the Lord. If we are obsessed to a fearful degree with anyone other than the One, True God, it is destructive and will eventually destroy us. Job 3:25 “What I feared has come upon me; what I dreaded has happened to me.”

However, if our lives focus on the living and uncreated God, that’s wonderful; fear of God is good as both the Old Testament and New Testament commands. Fearing God is a part of worshiping Him; it recognizes that He is exalted far above us, and we draw near in having awe and reverence for His power, presence, and attributes. Fearing God is not a paralyzing fear, but it is more than awesome respect. 

We must fear God if we are to embrace Him in a desire to learn how He wants us to live and how to worship Him. Fearing Him gives us a foundation for our life that includes developing self-discipline, an openness to learning, and godly wisdom. We will develop a hesitation to be disobedient, and at the same time, adoration of Him that encourages us to be obedient to what He asks us to do. We recognize and acknowledge His position as the highest Holy One who is Creator of all things. 

• Jeremiah 10:7; “Who should not fear you, King of the nations? This is your due. Among all the wise leaders of the nations and in all their kingdoms, there is no one like you.” 
• Job 28:28 “The fear of the Lord—that is wisdom, and to shun evil is understanding.” 
• Proverbs 14:27 “The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life, turning a person from the snares of death.” 

Give your complete trust to the Lord in godly and pure fear, adoration, and desire to be all He wants you to be in your life. He promises wisdom and guidance for those who ask, so go ahead and ask, taking time to wait on His timing and listen to the Spirit’s whispers. He is with you!

Scriptures: Psalms 3, Luke 12:4-5

Why Fear the Lord? 

We are naturally in fear of One who is so awesome that He is without beginning or end and knows everything about us, including every thought we have. Wisdom begins when we recognize Him and fear Him (Psalm 111:10, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom”), understanding that our very breath is in His hands. This is the fear defined as ‘awe or reverence.’ It can also be fear in the traditional sense; Jesus said that we should fear Him because He has the power of life and death and the power to place us in hell if we’ve rejected Him (Luke 12:4-5). 

There are thousands of religions in the world that rely on humanity’s efforts to reach God through performing specific tasks. We can’t find Him this way, but He, in His mercy and love for us, reached out and brought us close. Religion is humanity’s attempt to find God. However, following Jesus, often called Christianity, is trusting that the God of creation reveals Himself to us in a personal relationship. He provides the only way to redeem us from our sins and now seeks us and calls us to Himself. 

We must recognize that this world didn’t happen by itself, that only a loving, infinitely intelligent Being could have created it. Then, when we realize that we don’t have the wisdom and know-how to control our own lives – we can open ourselves to the work of the Holy Spirit who draws us to Jesus. We can begin our journey of understanding and living in right relationship with the Creator of all things. 

• Psalm 23:4 “Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me.” 
• Proverbs 3:25-26 “Have no fear of sudden disaster or of the ruin that overtakes the wicked, for the Lord will be at your side.” 
• Isaiah 51:7-8 “Do not fear the reproach of mere mortals or be terrified by their insults. For the moth will eat them up like a garment; the worm will devour them like wool.” 
• Psalm 3:6 “I will not fear though tens of thousands assail me on every side.” 

This extraordinary fear of God allows other fears to leave. Perfect love casts out fear. When we are under God’s love and protection, we do not need to fear death, other people, or other things! 

The words of God are eternal, and He will never fail you! Take time to bless Him and praise Him for His lovingkindness to you, and yield all your fears to His control.

Scriptures: Deuteronomy 4:9-10, Deuteronomy 4:35-40

Fear is Something We Learn

Children are born with only two fears – loud noises and falling. We learn the rest. We all fear various things, but these two things are on most lists. We’re also afraid of failure, criticism, speaking in public, death, loss of a loved one, old age, and the list goes on. We learn to fear these things by holding onto mental pictures of what we don’t want to happen. 

Many fears are reasonable because they teach us to be careful. We don’t want to hurt ourselves through carelessness, do we? Yet, if we ignore the One, True Lord of all the universe, who holds it all together by the power of His Word, then that carelessness will require accountability. At some point in life, or after our last breath, we must stand before Him and give an account of our lives; how we treated Him and His people. 

The world system teaches us that God is not to be feared, He is not worthy of our reverence, and in our minds it pulls His Throne of Glory out from under Him, making Him to be some weakened and lower authority than ourselves. Therefore, we must learn to come before Him with the awe and reverence that is due to Him. 

He has given us clear evidence of His power and authority; in nature around us, in raising Jesus from the dead to clear the path for us to enter heaven, in giving us the Holy Spirit to transform our hearts. He has given us His Word to share His heart with us and show us how to live. If you want to learn to please the LORD, read the letter He wrote to you. The more time you spend with Him, the more you will learn to fear Him in the right way. 

• Deuteronomy 4:10 “Assemble the people to Me, that I may let them hear My words so they may learn to fear Me all the days they live on the earth, and that they may teach their children.’ 
• Deuteronomy 4:40 “Keep his decrees and commands…that you may live long in the land the Lord your God gives you…” 

God desires a love relationship with each of us, and He sent His Son Jesus to die in our place, taking the horrible punishment we deserved for the sins we had committed upon Himself. However, for those who trust Him, He provides eternal life in heaven. He offers His great love and sacrifice to all of us, but we must willingly receive that love and surrender our lives to Him. Fearing God begins that process. If we don’t reverence or trust God or feel that we don’t need God, we will never be able to receive His free salvation. 

Take a few minutes to praise God for His loving mercy and the blessing you have by being able to come before Him. In a loving relationship, you are heart to heart, reverently fearing Him with awe and love. Praise Him for the salvation He provides in Jesus Christ, our Savior.

Scriptures: Psalms 56, Jonah 1

God Often uses Fear to Wake Us Up and Reset Our Life

You may have heard the phrase: “the Holy Spirit comforts the afflicted but afflicts the comfortable.” God sometimes uses fear and discomfort in our life to get our attention, wake us up, and reset our course back into His way. This can create some anxiety in life, and then we have a choice to make; do we trust God and do it His way, or do we plunge ahead in our own plans? Have you ever had the experience of realizing that you wish you would have listened to the Lord in the first place, so you wouldn’t be in the jumbled mess you made? 

• Psalm 56:3-4 “When I am afraid, I put my trust in you. In God, whose word I praise— in God I trust and am not afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?” 
• Jonah 1:4-5 “Then the Lord sent a great wind on the sea, and such a violent storm arose that the ship threatened to break up. All the sailors were afraid and each cried out to his own god.” 

The more we fear God, the more we trust Him. We develop a one-to-one relationship that has the strongest bond possible; that of the connection Jesus created for us by His obedience to His Father. He built the bridge whereby we can pass over death and disaster. We must become sensitive to the leading of the Spirit so that we follow His guidance and leading. He will never lead us in the wrong direction! 

So, as we spend more time with God, our reverence and awe grow. Our anxiety and terror over worldly concerns diminishes and should fade under our growing trust in God’s provision and wisdom. This is why fear (reverence and awe) of the Lord is linked to praise, and we are free from the fear (pain and punishment) of our circumstances. So, the more we choose to spend time with God, the more we will know Him; and the more we will fear Him and learn not to be afraid. 

• Revelation 1:17 “When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. Then he placed his right hand on me and said: “Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last.” 
• Matthew 14:27 “But Jesus immediately said to them: “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.” 
• Romans 8:15 “The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba Father.” 

Praise God from whom all blessings flow! His wisdom is beyond understanding, and we can trust Him to know exactly where He is taking us. Give Him your praise and thanks, and rest in His care.

Scriptures: Romans 6:16-22, Daniel 6

Be Careful What You Fear 

The Bible says that we are not to fear or worship things. We are not to fear or worship people or false gods. But we are to fear and worship the Lord: 

• Deuteronomy 6:13 says we are to fear only Him and serve only Him! 
• Romans 6:16 “Don’t you know that when you offer yourselves to someone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one you obey—whether you are slaves to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience, which leads to righteousness?” 

It is no coincidence that as the fear and reverence of God has decreased in our society, other fears have increased. As a child of God, we need not fear the confusion of the world around us because we have the promise of God that He is with us and will deliver us through our trials. We can live in peace because He is Peace. 

In Daniel, chapter 6, we read that even though Daniel was found to be without corruption, he was unjustly charged with a crime against King Darius and was sentenced to be thrown into the lion’s den, because he would not pray to Darius as god. Jealous coworkers set him up. However, God was faithful and kept Daniel safe in that den, not keeping him from experiencing the trial but being with him through it. Daniel was delivered from the lion’s den the next day without a scratch, and the pagan king Darius praised the God of heaven, then sent an acknowledgment of God’s mighty power to his entire kingdom! Daniel did not fear a human king; his overwhelming trust was in the Lord God Almighty. The same Lord will deliver you, too! 

The expression ‘do not be afraid’ is one of the most frequent commands in the Bible. We need to return to a right relationship with God! There are at least 366 “fear nots” in the Bible, one for every day of the year, including Leap Year. God doesn’t want us to go a single day without hearing His word of comfort: 

• Deuteronomy 31:6 “Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.” 
• Joshua 1:9 “Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” 
• 1 John 4:18 “There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear.” 

A “Fear not” prayer from Psalm 56:3-4: When I am afraid, I put my trust in you. In God, whose word I praise; in God I trust and am not afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?

Scriptures: Luke 12:4-8, Revelation 14:6-7, 1 Peter 3:14-15

Don’t Be Afraid as You Fear God 

In his book “Waiting on God,” Andrew Murray said, “In God Himself, all apparent contradictions are reconciled. Righteousness and peace, judgment and mercy, holiness and love, infinite power and infinite gentleness, a majesty that is exalted above all heaven, and a condescension that bows very low, meet and kiss each other. There is indeed a fear that has torment, that is cast out entirely by perfect love. But there is a fear that exists in the very heavens. In the song of Moses and the Lamb, they sing, “Who shall not fear You, O Lord, and glorify Your name?” And out of the very throne the voice came, “Praise our God, all you His servants, and you who fear Him.” 

• Luke 12:4-5 “I tell you, my friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body and after that can do no more. But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear him who, after your body has been killed, has authority to throw you into hell.” 
• Isaiah 8:12-13 “do not fear what they fear, and do not dread it. The Lord Almighty is the one you are to regard as holy, he is the one you are to fear, he is the one you are to dread.” 
• Deuteronomy 3:22 “Do not be afraid of them; the Lord your God himself will fight for you.” 

Praise is an outpouring of our spirit to the Spirit of the Lord; we revere and hold Him in the awe He deserves for His fearsome power and mercy. We trust Him for the wisdom and guidance we need to travel through life, so we can ‘fear not’ as our life relates to the world around us. We are in the safest arms that exist, and we can find true joy in handing our fears to the Lord. He can handle it all! 

• Revelation 14:7; “He said in a loud voice, “Fear God and give Him glory because the hour of his judgment has come. Worship him who made the heavens, the earth, the sea and the springs of water.” 
• Ezekiel 2:6 “And you, son of man, do not be afraid of them or their words. Do not be afraid, though briers and thorns are all around you and you live among scorpions. Do not be afraid of what they say or be terrified by them” 
• 1 Peter 3:14 “But even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed. Do not fear their threats; do not be frightened.” 

I praise You, Father, for Your promises to never leave me or abandon me. You are God above all things because Your hand has made it all. Mold me into the person You want me to be, and I will not be afraid. I praise You for Your power, wisdom, and provision in my life. You are all I need, Amen.

Scriptures: Psalms 61:5, Psalms 111:5, Deuteronomy 6:2

Fearing God Provides an Abundance of Good Things from the Lord 

Here are some excerpts from Psalm 103, that remind us of God’s overwhelming goodness to those of us who fear Him! (Verses 2-5; 10-12): 

• Praise the Lord, my soul, and forget not all his benefits— who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion, who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s. 
• He does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us. 

Psalm 34:7 tells us “The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him, and he delivers them.” We are so protected and blessed as we live in God’s family. Certainly, troubles come our way, but God walks with us through all of them as He promises in Psalm 23:4; “Even though I walkthrough the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.” 

Psalm 34:9 says it again slightly: “Fear the Lord, you his holy people, for those who fear him lack nothing.” God listens to those who fear Him (Psalm 61:5), gives them a long life, and promises them a Godly heritage if they teach their children to fear the Lord (Deuteronomy 6:2). In fact, Psalm 103:17 broadens God’s promise infinitely, “But from everlasting to everlasting the Lord’s love is with those who fear him, and his righteousness with their children’s children.” Psalm 111:5 promises us that God provides food for those who fear Him, and that He is a covenant keeping God. 

Jesus amplified on this wonderful promise in Matthew 6:25-33; “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. . . Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life? “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” 

Is there any reason you would not want to run quickly into the arms of our loving God? He provides beautifully for all who fear Him and put their trust in Him!

Scriptures: Exodus 20:20, Proverbs 3:11-12, John 15:1-2, Proverbs 22:4

God Prunes Us and Showers Abundance and Eternal Life on Us 

Exodus 20:20 tells us that God tests us to help us fear the Lord and keep from sinning. 

Proverbs 3:11-12 reminds us that the Lord disciplines those he loves, as a father the son he delights in. When we fear God in love, He disciplines us to purify us, so we can revere Him even more and be useful for His kingdom. Jesus tells us in John 15 1-2 that every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. Pruning and discipline are not fun, but they produce lovely fruit in our lives and help us realize that everything good in us comes from God, not our abilities. Humility, one of a Godly person’s most outstanding qualities, is the fear of the Lord according to Proverbs 22:4, and the results are riches and honor and life. 

Psalm 25:14, “The Lord confides in those who fear him; he makes his covenant known to them.” Having the Lord confide in us and trust us with His word is an amazing blessing! Being reminded of His covenant with us, and understanding how it impacts our lives, makes life worth living. 

Listening to God and being in awe of Him and His Word helps us understand His desires and then we can also desire them above all else. Psalm 145:19, “He fulfills the desires of those who fear him; he hears their cry and saves them.” 

• Psalm 31:19, “How abundant are the good things that you have stored up for those who fear you, that you bestow in the sight of all, on those who take refuge in you.” 
• Psalm 147:11, “the Lord delights in those who fear him, who put their hope in his unfailing love.” 
• Malachi 4:2, “But for you who revere my name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its rays. And you will go out and frolic like well-fed calves.” 
• Psalm 33:18, “But the eyes of the Lord are on those who fear him, on those whose hope is in his unfailing love.” 

What protection, security and safety we feel when we know that the eye of the Lord is always on us who fear Him and hope in His mercy! With the world in great turmoil, which seems to increase daily at an exponential rate, how can we not bow before Him in loving fear and admiration and gratitude! 

We praise You, O Lord, our souls rejoice in your compassion and grace. We thank You for the benefits You surround us with as we walk in trust and fear of Your amazing presence in our lives. We will rest in You and praise You forever for Your sacrifice for us, and thank You for Your unending eternal love, amen.