Fear of the Lord

eDevotion

Encouragement for your daily walk with God 

I once asked a Jewish friend of mine what it means to fear the Lord. He said, “Fear means, fear!” Well, that helped a lot! He went on to say that he had been taught in Torah studies that it means to bow to sovereign authority. Much better!. 

The Old Testament is filled with references to the fear of the Lord. Here are just a couple of them:

Psalm 34.11-14 — Come, my children, and listen to me, and I will teach you to fear the LORD. Does anyone want to live a life that is long and prosperous? Then keep your tongue from speaking evil and your lips from telling lies! Turn away from evil and do good. Search for peace, and work to maintain it.

Proverbs 3.7 — Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD and shun evil.

A Sovereign would want you to live that way.

We’re not limited to the Old Testament when it comes to the fear of the Lord. Listen to these:

2 Corinthians 7.1 — Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.

Ephesians 5.21 — And further, submit to one another in the fear of Christ.

Again, a Sovereign would want you to live that way.

The fear of the Lord compels us to conform our lives to His will. Pleasing Him is a cause for delight and displeasing Him, a great disappointment. Fearing God leads to reverential attitudes, activities, and actions.

The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever. Psalm 19.9