Fear The Lord

It talks about the fear of the Lord in more than one place in the Bible but I wonder how many people really fear the Lord.  To me the fear of the Lord is having a deep respect for Him.  The fear of the Lord is not just using Him for our advantage and it is not putting the Lord to the test but it is honoring the Lord in every situation.  It is a steadfast disposition to take the Lord and His Word very seriously and do your best to keep His commandments.  A fear of the Lord is healthy and will result in blessings.

If you want real wisdom, it starts with fearing the Lord.  There are many that live today that have no fear of the Lord which is very dangerous and very foolish.  It says this in Proverbs 9:10, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.”

Knowing about the Lord is important, but knowing the Lord on a personal level is far better because He has the answers to life.  Through Him you will gain real insight into the purpose and meaning of life.  It also says this about the fear of the Lord in Proverbs 8:13, “The fear of the Lord is to hate evil; pride and arrogance and the evil way and the perverse mouth I hate.”

In Psalms it also talks about the fear of the Lord;

Psalms 111:10, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom;

A good understanding have all those who do His commandments.

His praise endures forever.”

 and

Psalms 112:1, “Praise the Lord! Blessed is the man who fears the Lord,

who delights greatly in His commandments.”

To receive the Lord’s blessings we must fear and trust Him.  Many people rely on themselves and their own abilities instead of letting the Lord guide them.  If people fear the Lord and delight in keeping His commands, and not just rely on their own understanding, they will be blessed.

Some people have a unhealthy fear of the Lord, thinking that He is a tyrant type of God, waiting to catch them in sin so that He can beat them over the head every chance He gets.  If you have been raised in a home where you weren’t a great achiever and were punished when you made a mistake or you didn’t meet your parent’s expectations, you may feel that same way about the Lord, especially if you didn’t feel loved.  People seem to relate to the Lord through their dad or mom and how they were treated in the home.  Even knowing what the Bible says about the Lord, I still struggle with this at times.

I want to encourage you in this, the Lord doesn’t love you because of your performance, He loves you because He is love.  When we sin, the Lord does correct us but it is done out of love because His purpose is to shape and mold us into something beautiful.  Think of a parent correcting their children, if they only do it out of anger they will teach their children fear and rejection, but if they do it out of love they will teach them love, respect and honor and that is the Lord’s purpose for us.  So fear the Lord, shun evil and reap the fruits of a blessed life.  Something to think about!  Have a blessed day and may you experience the Lord’s love today!!