Victory Comes from Fearing the Right Thing
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; all who follow His precepts have good understanding. To Him belongs eternal praise.
Psalm 111:10 (NIV)
Today, I was struck by the thought that those who stay on the straight and narrow path have a healthy fear of the Lord. It’s so easy to let selfishness, anger or even apathy distract us from who God really is. I’m convinced that one of the missing ingredients in 21st-century faith is a healthy fear of the Lord. We have so emphasized God as a picture of love (and He is love) that we have failed to paint a picture of God’s tremendous power, which gives us a healthy fear of Him and keeps us in tune with Him.
Years ago, I visited a lion park on a mission trip in South Africa. The only things separating us from the lions were some little posts and flimsy barbed wire. The students I had taken on this trip thought it was awesome, but I was more hesitant. The lions were calm, but at the end of the day, they were still lions. Jesus is love, and He's full of peace, but He is also the lion from the tribe of Judah. He deserves our respect and awe.
The fear of the Lord is foundational to the life of a believer. The verse above reminds us that this fear leads to understanding. The more we fear God, the more we grow in wisdom. And this wisdom isn’t just knowledge or intelligence; it’s a divine understanding of how to live in step with God’s Spirit. It means submitting our plans, desires and decisions to Him, trusting that His ways are better than ours. It’s a posture of humility—acknowledging that we are finite and He is infinite.
Key Aspects of Fearing God:
- Reverence for His Holiness
There's no one like God. He is other than. He can't grow or learn because He’s already perfect. If you're ever around a gifted artist, athlete or professional, you're in awe of their work. When you get in the presence of God, remember who He is!
- Obedience to His Word
It’s not enough to hear the Word. We need to obey it. If we just read it and do nothing with it, then we don't have a healthy fear of God.
- Trusting in His Justice
Things don't always make sense, but we must trust God. We don’t need to try to take justice into our own hands. We need to learn to trust God!
Application: Let a healthy fear keep you in step with God today!
Prayer: Ask Jesus to remind you how powerful He is. Spend time thanking Him for His holiness. Ask God’s Spirit to give you a healthy fear for who He is!
“… Our Father in heaven…” Matthew 6:9b (NLT)
- What do You want to say to me today as my Father?
“… may Your name be kept holy.” Matthew 6:9c (NLT)
- What do You want to reveal to me about Your power today?
“May Your Kingdom come soon.” Matthew 6:10a (NLT)
- Help me make Your priorities my priorities today.
“Give us today the food we need,” Matthew 6:11 (NLT)
- Is there anything specific You want me to do with my time or the people I’m around today?
“and forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who sin against us” Matthew 6:12 (NLT)
- Reveal to me anyone I need to forgive or ask for forgiveness.
“And don’t let us yield to temptation…” Matthew 6:13a (NLT)
- Is there anywhere I’m vulnerable to temptation?