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

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.