Developing Your Fear of The Lord

Posted on April 12, 2014 by
As many of you know, I have developed an appreciation for what we call the Old Testament. One thing that has grown for me is an understanding of the nature and character of our Lord. I have learned—or maybe it would be more correct to say “what has been reinforced”—is that there is:
  • One God, and His name is Yud-Heh-Vav-Heh. (not Allah, Buddha, Ba’al, or any other title given to the pagan gods)
  • He is the same God that appeared to the Patriarchs as El Shaddai.
  • He is the Creator of everything, but He is also above and not organically part of the things He created.
  • He is present, and He is near, but His being is not the same substance of any created thing (except, in small part, for Mankind).
  • This God of Abraham is different than any of the pagan gods.
  • His area of dominion is infinite, his powers are infinite, and yet, He constantly interacts with mere men. In other Words, the God of Israel is deeply involved in human affairs, and in fact, uses human affairs to achieve a much grander purpose.
  • His grand plan involves the establishment of a nation of people that He will rescue, redeem, teach, nurture, and discipline. I am of course referring to Israel, of which was the foundation, the root of our Christian faith. He created the Hebrew people, and we have been grafted into their “family tree.”
The Old Testament also helped me understand the contexts of the fear of the Lord, This is something every believer should cultivate. True fear of God certainly includes awe and respect, but it goes beyond that. David tells us, “Sin whispers to the wicked, deep within their hearts. They have no fear of God at all” (Psalm 36:1). What David is saying is that when we see somebody indulging in evil, our hearts will tells us that that person has no fear of God. He doesn’t acknowledge the truth about sin, or about God’s call to holiness.
The fact is, godly fear gives us power to maintain victory in times where evil seems so prevalent. So, how do we obtain this fear? Do we have to spend days fasting? Do we have to swear off Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Ice Cream and Lemon Pies? Well, Jeremiah has an easier answer for us:
“I will give them singleness of heart and singleness of purpose, so that they will fear me forever — this will be for their own good and for the good of their children after them. I will make with them an everlasting covenant not to turn away from them, but to do them good; I will put fear of me in their hearts, so that they will not leave me” (Jeremiah 32:39-40)
See? What I have learned is that we don’t do anything—we simply accept what He has done.
That, my friends, is a wonderful promise from the Lord! It promises us that He will provide His holy fear. He doesn’t just drop this fear into our hearts in a supernatural flash: –Whammo!– and you got it. No? No. We obtain it through His Word.
Does that mean God’s fear is planted in our hearts when we simply read the Bible? No, that is not what I am saying. It comes as we read, meditate, consider and ponder His Word. As it comes, it will form and shape our lives and our hearts. It will come when we consciously decide that we are going to obey every word we read in His Word. Scripture tells us this is how godly fear came on Ezra: “Ezra had set his heart on studying and practicing the Torah of Adonai and teaching Isra’el the laws and rulings” (Ezra 7:10). See? He prepared his heart; he sought the Word and applied what he read to his life!
I assure you that the fear of God isn’t just an Old Testament concept. We see godly fear mentioned in both Testaments. The Old tells us, “Fear Yahweh, and turn away from evil” (Proverbs 3:7). The New Testament declares, “There is no fear of God before their eyes” (Romans 3:18). Paul adds, “we need to cleanse ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit and live a holy life in the fear of God” (II Corinthians 7:1).
It is a work of His Spirit in our lives, with a corresponding effort of our own to study to show ourselves approved (II Timothy 2:15); to give diligence (II Peter 2:10).
Nickolas
(I send out messages like this each morning in emails, and if you are interested in receiving them, send me your email address and I will add you to the list)
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