Behold, thus shall a man be blessed
who fears the Lord 
Psalm 128:4
Let all the earth fear the Lord; 
let all the inhabitants of the world 
stand in awe of him
Psalm 33:8

Fear the Lord

The Bible tells us that we should fear the Lord, and it clarifies why we should do so. It says that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge and wisdom (Proverbs 1:7; Psalms 111:10: Proverbs 9:10; Job 28:28). The fear of the Lord is the hatred of evil (Proverbs 8:13). By the fear of the Lord, one turns away from evil (Proverbs 16:6). The fear of the Lord is the fountain of life, that one may turn away from the snares of death. The fear of the Lord leads to life and whoever has it rests satisfied and will not be harmed (Proverbs 19:23). The fear of the Lord is riches, honour and life (Proverbs 22:4). God’s mercy is for those who fear Him (Luke 1:50).

The friendship of the Lord is for those who fear Him, and He makes known to them His covenant (Psalm 25:14). The fear of the Lord is strong confidence, and His children have refuge (Proverbs 14:26). Those who fear the Lord have no lack (Psalm 34:9). Blessed is the man who fears the Lord and who greatly delights in His commandments (Psalm 112:1). It will go well with them that fear the Lord (Deuteronomy 5:29). Fear the Lord and keep his commandments, and this is the whole duty of man (Ecclesiastes 12:13). Fearing the Lord is one of the requirements of the Lord (Deuteronomy 10:12).

These many verses emphasize how important it is to fear the Lord. When we fear the Lord, we have wisdom, knowledge, life, riches, honour, mercy, friendship, strong confidence, refuge, lack nothing, blessings, and it will go well with us. But what does this mean to fear the Lord? I have heard people say that it means we should have reverence and respect for the Lord. But is it just that?

What does fear mean?

There are several Hebrew words used in the old testament for fear. After reviewing the many occurrences of the word fear in the Bible, the meanings of most of them seem to be very similar with different degrees of intensity. The meaning of fear is terror, dread, to be afraid and reverence. When the Bible speaks of the fear of God, it speaks many times about terror and dread. Are we expected to be terrified by God? The word of God tells us do not fear those who kill the body but fear the one who can destroy the body and the soul in hell (Matthew 10:28). So yes, we should be afraid of the one who made us and who can destroy us. We should fear the one who can allow us to experience eternal torment.

But God is a good God, and if we are obedient to Him and follow His ways, then we have nothing to fear. We will not experience eternal torment if we accept salvation and live according to God’s way. However, when we disregard His words, turn our backs on Him, when we put the world first and God on the back burner, when we outrightly do the wrong things then we should be terrified of what God can do to us. Man can harm the body, but the true essence of who we are is in our souls. And God can destroy our souls when we choose the wrong side. The Bible tells us that it is a terrible thing to fall into the hands of the living God (Hebrews 10:31). So, we need to make sure that we live a life where we will not fall into the hands of the living God. And where God does not have to cast us away because we choose the world and not Him. We doom ourselves to destruction when we go against God’s word, and when we refuse God’s salvation. The word says that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom (Psalm 111:10). So, let us be wise.  

God does not give us Fear

But the word of God tells us not to fear anything except God himself (Isaiah 41:10; Matthew 10:28). Proverbs says the fear of man lays a trap but who trusts in the Lord is safe (Proverbs 29:25). The Lord says that we should not fear because He is with us. We should not be dismayed because He is our God. He will strengthen us, help us, uphold us with His righteous right hand (Isaiah 41:10). Therefore, we are not to be afraid of anything other than God. We do not have to be afraid of the enemy, or of man. This is such a comforting truth that when we have been saved, and we have God on our side, we do not need to fear anything or anyone. God protects us and takes care of us always. His word tells us to be strong and courageous, do not fear, for the Lord goes with us, and he will not leave or forsake us. (Deuteronomy 31:6; Joshua 1:9).

God gives us a spirit not of fear but of power, love and self-control (2 Timothy 1:7). God does not call us to be afraid but to trust Him. There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. Fear is torment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love (1 John 4:18). But sometimes we do fear, and we are reminded that we need to be perfected in love. We are to remind ourselves of who we are in Christ and who He is. He is the God of creation; there is nothing too difficult for Him (Jeremiah 32:27). No one can defeat Him, and He has already won the battle against the enemy (John 16:33) So why do we fear? We are still a work-in-progress, and so it is expected that initially, fear comes, but it is the decision to stay in fear that is wrong. We need to decide in advance that we will focus on who God is and trust in Him when the fear comes. We need to make that conscious decision to dwell in God’s perfect love, and the fear shall be cast out.

Romans says we did not receive a spirit of slavery so that we will fear, but we have received a spirit of adoption as sons (Romans 8:15). God has made us His very own. And so, we have the privilege of being His loved ones. David said that the Lord is his light and salvation, who shall we fear? God is his stronghold, whom shall he fear (Psalm 27:1). So, let us be like David, when we feel the fear we reach out to God and know who He is and allow that fear to disappear. We are told not to be anxious about anything but to bring it to the Lord with prayer and thanksgiving (Philippians 4:6-7). The Lord delivers us from all our fears (Psalm 34:4). Knowing that God is with us, we should have no fear (Psalm 23:4). So, let us bring it to Him in prayer.

We are to receive the words, and treasure up his commandments, be attentive to wisdom and understanding. We are to call out for insight and raise your voice for understanding, seek it like silver and search for it as for hidden treasures, then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God – Proverbs 2:1-6

All photos were taken by Kyle or Vani. These photos are from the many adventures we have been blessed to experience together. We are so grateful for every blessing from God. No filters were used nor were the photos edited except for an occasional crop. We hope you enjoy.