Let’s talk about what it means to fear the Lord.
What’s the first thing that comes to mind when you hear the phrase “fear the Lord”?
For me, it poses a few questions: If God is love then why in the world should we fear Him? Is the God that created me someone I must be afraid of? What does it actually mean to fear the Lord?
Today we will talk about why it’s important to fear God, some examples of the fear of the Lord, what it means to fear the Lord, and more.
This post is all about what it means to fear the Lord.
Are you ready? Let’s geaux!
Why Is It Important To Fear God
Today we’re going to take a journey through our memory folders. When you were young who was the person that you considered to be your hero?
You know that person that you’re just in awe of and you want to remain in their presence? The person who you looked to with the deepest regard and respect.
Do you have that person in you mind? Okay, good. I’ll tell you my person.
For me, it was my dad. He was my hero and I thought that he was everything when I was a little girl.
I never wanted to disappoint my dad. It was important for me to “fear” him because he was the one who was taking care of me.
He was not only my hero; he was my source as a little child.
It’s important to fear the Lord because He alone is our Source. Everything we have and possess belongs to Him.
The Bible has many beautiful benefits of fearing the Lord. Plus, you don’t have to worry about knowing how to do it on your own because the Lord promises to teach you (Psalm 34:11 NIV).
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Here are seventeen benefits of fearing the Lord:
17 Benefits Of Fearing The Lord
1. You Have The Beginning Of Wisdom
Psalm 111:10 NIV-The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; all who follow his precepts have good understanding. To him belongs eternal praise.
2. You Possess The Lord’s Delight
Psalm 147:11 NIV-The Lord delights in those who fear him, who put their hope in his unfailing love.
3. The Lord Will Confide In You
Psalm 25:14 NIV-The Lord confides in those who fear him; he makes his covenant known to them.
4. You Will Lack Nothing
Psalm 34:9 NIV-Fear the Lord, you his holy people, for those who fear him lack nothing.
5. You Experience The Lord’s Love And Righteousness
Psalm 103:17 NIV-But from everlasting to everlasting the Lord’s love is with those who fear him, and his righteousness with their children’s children.
6. The Lord’s Eye Will Be On You
Psalm 33:18 NIV-But the eyes of the Lord are on those who fear him, on those whose hope is in his unfailing love.
7. You Have True Life, Rest, And Are Untouched By Trouble
Proverbs 19:23 NIV-The fear of the Lord leads to life; then one rests content, untouched by trouble.
8. You Will Have Instruction From God
Psalm 25:12 NIV-Who, then, are those who fear the Lord? He will instruct them in the ways they should choose.
9. You Have A Heritage
Psalm 61:5 NIV-For you, God, have heard my vows; you have given me the heritage of those who fear your name.
10. Your Life Is Prolonged
Proverbs 10:27 NIV-The fear of the Lord adds length to life, but the years of the wicked are cut short.
11. You Are Kept Safe
Proverbs 29:25 NIV-Fear of man will prove to be a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord is kept safe.
12. You Have The Lord’s Compassion
Psalm 103:13 NIV-As a father has compassion of his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him.
13. You Will Avoid Evil
Proverbs 16:6 NIV-Through love and faithfulness sin is atoned for; through the fear of the Lord a man avoids evil.
14. You Have A Secure Fortress
Proverbs 14:26 NIV-He who fears the Lord has a secure fortress, and for his children it will be a refuge.
15. You Have A Fountain Of Life
Proverbs 14:27 NIV-The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life, turning a man from the snares of death.
16. God’s Angels Camp Around You And Delivers You
Psalm 34:7 NIV-The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him, and he delivers them.
17. You Are Blessed
Psalm 128:1 NIV-Blessed are all who fear the Lord, who walk in obedience to him.
3 Causes Of The Fear Of The Lord
The cause of the fear of the Lord is rooted in three key components:
1. Understanding Of Position
God is the one who pressed start on the beginning. He is the brains behind the operation called life.
Since God created all things seen and unseen, He owns all things including us. Now that can be looked at as a negative because of societal conditioning and past wounding.
But from the proper perspective, it is the most freeing thing ever. This is why He is called Lord.
He owns everything and He is Source of all.
We are created in God’s image after His likeness (Genesis 1:26 NIV). He has given us the opportunity to exercise that authority by allowing us to govern certain things.
He has put the creation of the His hands under our feet (Psalm 8:4-6 NIV).
Because God is Source, many call him Father and as His prized possessions we’re His children.
The Father will always be above the children just as the teacher will always be greater than the students.
It doesn’t make the children or the student “less than; it just makes them have a different level of authority.
2. Obligation
God has a standard for how His people live. This is for a couple of reasons, but overall He wants the Earth to function just as Heaven does.
The thing is God created us as His ambassadors. It is our duty to fear God and keep His commandments (Ecclesiastes 12:13 NIV).
God will be proved holy through our conduct and actions in other’s sight (Ezekiel 36:23 NIV).
We represent Him and every decision we make affects each other in one way or another.
3. Responsibility
It can seem pretty daunting to keep in step with God’s commands, but none of them are burdensome (1 John 5:3 NIV).
God has even vowed to carry and sustain us (Isaiah 46:3-4 NIV).
Plus, He has given us the ability to respond to His commands.
This is all responsibility is the ability to respond.
What Are Some Examples Of The Fear Of The Lord
In the Bible, there are many examples of people displaying the fear of the Lord.
Today, I want to showcase some of the women of the Bible who are rarely recognized by the masses.
Lydia (Acts 16:14-15)
Lydia was a woman who worshipped God.
She listened to the Lord’s prompting when He told her to respond to Paul’s message.
She obeyed the Lord by inviting Paul and his companions to stay at her home.
How did Lydia display the fear of the Lord:
- She worshipped the Lord and obeyed Him.
- She was hospitable to Paul and his companions.
Hannah (1 Samuel 1-2)
Hannah was the wife of Elkanah, son of Jeroham. She had no children, but desperately wanted one. At the time, the Lord had closed her womb.
Hannah’s husband also had another wife named Peninnah who had children and constantly provoked Hannah.
Pinninah’s mission was to irritate Hannah, but there was no indication that Hannah ever fought back.
Instead, it is written that Hannah went to the Lord.
She vowed that if the Lord blessed her with a son that she would dedicate him back to Him and make sure that no razor touched his head.
As she prayed and wept bitterly, the priest accused her of being drunk.
How did Hannah display the fear of the Lord:
- She didn’t try to get Pinninah back.
- She sought the Lord.
- She wasn’t rude to the priest when he accused her of being drunk. Instead she respected him and his position as priest.
- She kept her vow to the Lord.
Anna (Luke 2:36-37)
Anna was a prophetess, the daughter of Penuel. She was an older woman who devoted her life to God.
Anna was married and even after her husband’s passing, she remained faithful to the Lord.
It is written that she never left the temple and was devoted to worship, prayer, and fasting.
How did Anna display the fear of the Lord:
- She was faithful to God before, during, and after her husband’s passing.
- She was devoted to worship, prayer, and fasting.
Mary And Joseph (Jesus’ Mother & Father)-See Matthew/Luke
I couldn’t talk about Mary without including Joseph. Mary and Joseph were the mother and father of Jesus Christ of Nazareth.
I’m sure they had no idea that they would be chosen for this divine calling. Mary was a virgin and Joseph had asked for her hand in marriage.
Once Joseph discovered that Mary was pregnant, he decided to divorce her quietly.
In a dream, an angel of the Lord told Joseph all about how this pregnancy was from the Holy Spirit.
Joseph married Mary and didn’t consummate their marriage until Mary gave birth.
How did Mary and Joseph display the fear of the Lord:
- They both answered the call of God.
- Joseph was willing to keep it quiet if they’d divorce.
- They kept Jesus safe and raise him in the Lord.
What Does It Actually Mean To Fear The Lord
Fearing the Lord isn’t grounded in emotion. It’s all about being one with Christ because that’s where your real life is found (Colossians 3:3 NIV).
To fear God can be defined in multiple ways:
- It’s knowing, believing, and understanding that God is He.
God is your:
- Father/Source
- Knowledge
- Love
- Truth
- Comfort
- And so much more
God is the Great I AM.
Fearing the Lord looks like us:
- Having an attitude of respect and submission.
- Knowing our position and that those around us are equally important in worth and value.
- Taking our rightful place as God’s offspring and responding to His obligations for our lives.
- Loving Him with all that we have internally and externally, recognizing that it all belongs to Him.
- Being dependent knowing that He is a Father to us first.
The fear of the Lord comes down to us having allegiance to God and allowing that allegiance to affect our values, convictions, and behaviors.
It’s loving Him so much that we never want to disappoint Him.
The good news is that none of us have to do this alone because He wants to teach us how to do this. Holy Spirit is the fear of the Lord (Isaiah 11:2 NIV).
This post was all about what it means to fear the Lord.
If You Enjoyed This Post, You’ll Love These:
How To Be Content In Life Through Every Season
Practicing God’s Will: Giving Thanks In All Circumstances
How To Walk In Obedience To God
How To Trust God’s Promises In Your Life
Before You Go…Let’s Recap
A quick recap of the benefits of fearing the Lord:
- You Have The Beginning Of Wisdom
- You Possess The Lord’s Delight
- The Lord Will Confide In You
- You Will Lack Nothing
- You Experience The Lord’s Love And Righteousness
- The Lord’s Eye Will Be On You
- You Have True Life, Rest, And Untouched By Trouble
- You Will Have Instruction From God
- You Have A Heritage
- Your Life Is Prolonged
- You Are Kept Safe
- You Have The Lord’s Compassion
- You Will Avoid Evil
- You Have A Secure Fortress
- You Have A Fountain Of Life
- God’s Angels Camp Around You And Delivers You
- You Are Blessed
Throughout this post I was able to learn so much. What stood out the most was the causes of the fear of the Lord.
Did you learn anything new? What was it for you? Let’s talk about it in the comments down below.
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