Throughout Scripture, we’re commanded to fear God. For some, this can be confusing. Doesn’t the Bible also tell us repeatedly not to fear?
The key in understanding this is knowing what the author meant by the word fear in verses like Proverbs 3:7 (“…fear the Lord, and depart from evil.”)
The word fear here does not mean to be afraid; it means to be in awe. John Bevere said it this way: “To fear God is to be in awe of Him—to honor, tremble, revere, esteem, respect, and value Him more than anything or anyone else.”
So, there’s clearly an enormous difference between being afraid of God and being in awe of Him. People afraid of God feel the need to hide things from Him. People in awe of God desire to be known by Him. Those afraid of God run from Him, but people in awe of God run to Him.
Psalm 34:8-9 says, “Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in him. Fear the Lord, you his holy people, for those who fear him lack nothing.”
In order to for God to truly be Lord of our lives, we must develop a healthy fear of Him. And in order to be blessed, God must be the Lord of our lives.
What does this look like, practically? When we live in awe of God, our chief concern in every situation is, How can I please God? Not How can I please myself? And not even How can I please others?
So how do we do this? How do we please God above all else so He takes His rightful place as Lord of our lives?
We first must honor His Word. We must spend time studying Scripture and intentionally applying it to our lives. Isaiah 66:2 says, “… These are the ones I look on with favor: those who are humble and contrite in spirit, and who tremble at my word.”
We also must honor His presence. We should ask ourselves, “How focused am I on honoring God’s presence daily? Is He the first person I talk to in the morning? Is He the one I seek when decisions need to be made? Psalm 89:7 (NKJV) says, “God is greatly to be feared in the assembly of the saints, and to be held in reverence by all those around Him.”
When we honor both God’s Word and His presence, we crown Him as king of our lives, and as Psalm 34 promises, He blesses us. Psalm 25:14 tells us He blesses us with His friendship. Psalm 112 tells us He responds to us with blessing (verses 1-3), peace that eliminates our fears (verse 7), wisdom (verse 10), and joy (verse 11).
Friend, are you living afraid of God, or in awe of Him today? I encourage you to embrace the latter trusting in the truth of Psalm 34—that those who fear Him will lack nothing!
