BOLD PURSUITSample

Some people in the Bible had reason to be afraid of God. Adam and Eve after they ate the fruit. The people of Sodom and Gomorrah. Jonah when he headed in the opposite direction of Nineveh.

But reborn Christians have no reason to be afraid of God, who Himself promised, “I will never desert you, nor will I ever abandon you” (Hebrews 13:5). Paul agreed: “For I am convinced that [nothing] will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:38–39).

Those promises fill us with comfort, not fear. So what does it mean to “fear the Lord”? The psalmist shed light on that question in the second half of Psalm 33:8: “Let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of Him.” With God, the list of things to be awestruck about is endless. Every photo that astronomers get back from deep space sheds light on the enormity and beauty of His creation. Every answered prayer reveals His loving-kindness toward us.

The more we learn about God, the deeper our sense of awestruck wonder grows. And the more we understand about His significance, the more our own insignificance comes into view. . . .

The tension between celebrating our relationship with God and recognizing that we’re not worthy of it helps us keep a healthy sense of awe. We need to understand who God is and accept certain truths about Him: He is sovereign, He is holy, He hates sin, He is just, He demands punishment for sin. We can’t approach our relationship with God as we would any other relationship. We must show reverence for everything He is. We must also be vigilant not to do anything that would jeopardize our relationship with Him.

Solomon said, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge” (Proverbs 1:7). If we stay mindful of our relationship with God, we will be more conscious of obeying Him. We will be more willing to learn from His discipline. We will worship Him in a way that’s meaningful to Him and us. Not having an immense amount of respect for God might also be a sign of a false Christian, a lukewarm Christian whom God will spit out of His mouth (Revelation 3:16). Nothing but good can come from a healthy fear of God.

Prayer

Father, I am in awe of Your majesty and holiness. Thank You for allowing me to have a relationship with You, and please guide me so that I do not jeopardize that relationship. Amen.