Happy Trails: Journey Through the Psalms of AscentSample

Fearing God is the proper response for viewing Him in an accurate light: that He is all-knowing, all-powerful, ever-present, and both fully just and fully loving. He is holy and righteous, unapproachable by anyone who is not covered with the precious blood of Jesus. Not a single word He speaks will return void. Every promise He declares is sure to come to pass. We can’t sneak anything by Him. He is not to be brushed off or to be mocked. He is worthy of our respect and honor in both the position of our hearts and the decisions we make each day.

Fearing God protects us from falling prey to the many traps that have been laid by the enemy of our lives. Proverbs 29:25 says that fearing God is a safeguard against the snare of the fear of man, which has captured far too many in it’s grip throughout history and seeks to claim us as well on our venture to Heaven. God is far above any and every human influence and there is no power can prevail against Him. That truth ought to settle our souls.

To fear God does not mean cowering and hiding from Him. Far from it. Fearing God means that we come out of our hiding spot before Him and follow Him in His ways, no matter what the cost is to us. It means we aren’t putting a label on God, defining Him how we prefer, but instead we allow who He is to affect every part of who we are. This means allowing Him to affect how we view ourselves and others, the choices we make, the thoughts we entertain, and the words we speak.

As spoken in verse 1 in this chapter: fearing God, unlike fearing anyone or anything else, is a blessing.

1. Do you struggle with the fear of man in your own life?
2. In what ways do you show that you fear God?
3. Today is a new day. Ask the Lord for a right perspective of His character and the world around you. Ask God for a healthy, right fear of Him in your heart.