Throughout the entire Bible, God actually COMMANDS us to FEAR. Seriously? Yes! God tells us we must fear HIM! While lots of fear can be debilitating and even ultimately deadly, the FEAR OF GOD is life-saving. And it comes with promises beyond measure. The word “fear” in the context of fearing God involves fearing Him, reverencing Him, and being in awe of Him. How many of us have bowed down, and served, and been tormented and debilitated by the fear of the things and the people of this world?
If we truly understand who God is, that He is holy and righteous and eternal and all powerful and that He is God of this universe and that our present and our future as to where we spend eternity is in His hands, then we need to comprehend where fear belongs. We are to fear Him! This is not an icky, yucky, awful fear as so many of us have known when it comes to fearing the things and people of this world.
This is a humbling, holy fear of the Lord God almighty. This, truly, is where our reverence belongs. We are to fear the Lord!
“But the steadfast love of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear him, and his righteousness to children’s children,…” Psalm 103:17 ESV
“Let all the earth fear the Lord; let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him!” Psalm 33:8 ESV
“Let all the earth fear the Lord; let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him!” Psalm 24:7 ESV
“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; all those who practice it have a good understanding. His praise endures forever!” Psalm 111:10 ESV
“Praise the Lord! Blessed is the man who fears the Lord, who greatly delights in his commandments!” Psalm 112:1 ESV
“And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God require of you, but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all his ways, to love him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and to keep the commandments and statutes of the Lord, which I am commanding you today for your good?” Deuteronomy 10:12-13 ESV
PLEASE NOTE THERE ARE NUMEROUS OTHER SCRIPTURES IN THE BIBLE THAT SPEAK OF FEARING THE LORD. YOU CAN USE BIBLEGATEWAY.COM, BIBLESTUDYTOOLS.COM, BIBLEHUB.COM, BLUELETTERBIBLE.COM, AND OTHER WEBSITES TO SEARCH FOR THESE VERSES!