THE GOOD FEAR

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In Christ, Mark

The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

The fear of the Lord adds length to life, but the years of the wicked are cut short.

The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life, turning a person from the snares of death.

Better a little with the fear of the Lord than great wealth with turmoil.

Through love and faithfulness sin is atoned for; through the fear of the Lord evil is avoided.

The fear of the Lord leads to life; then one rests content, untouched by trouble.

Humility is the fear of the Lord; its wages are riches and honor and life.

Proverbs 10:27, 14:27, 15:16, 16:6, 19:23, 22:4

This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

NOTE: From Proverbs, Chapter 10 through Chapter 22:16, Solomon writes a series of individual proverbs for us to consider. I will try and group similar proverbs in my devotions as I cover what Solomon wrote over these chapters.

What are you afraid of?

It seems that everyone has that one thing that petrifies them.

Indeed there are any number of fears out there, fears that typically impact a person’s behavior sometimes severely as there are instances where people are petrified by their fear to the point where they can’t function.

Some people are afraid of heights. Others are petrified by being stuck in confined spaces (also referred to as claustrophobia). Still others are afraid of living things like spiders or snakes or rats. Trips to the dentist can unnerve someone as well. Ditto for speaking in public.

Yes, there are plenty of fears to adopt if you look at the world we live in. But why do we fear, especially those who are believers? Why would we ever be afraid when we know God is with us, for us, and has promised to never forsake us?

It’s a good question, right? And maybe you are assessing your fears as you read this and telling yourself that there is really nothing to be afraid of in life, even death when we have accepted Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior. I pray you are and I pray that you will adopt a new life attitude from this devotion as God’s word has something to say to us on the matter of fear.

Like telling us that there is one and only one good fear:

The fear of the Lord.

Now, this fear is only a legitimate fear if one is not a believer in Jesus Christ. This is because you are in a position where you will receive the fullest extent of God’s wrath and judgment. There is no pardon without Jesus, no way to the Father except through Him (John 14:6). And so if you are not in Christ, then you are in deep trouble and that should be something to fear.

So do believers still need to fear the Lord? Absolutely but in a different way.

You see, Christians have a fear of the Lord but it’s rather a reverence for Him than anything else, a humble admission that He is Lord and we are nothing without Him. It’s a good and acceptable fear because we realize our boundaries and do not want to cross into any territory that would negatively impact our relationship with Christ.

Yes, the fear of the Lord is not only expected but the Bible shares us with a lot of additional benefits that come to those who treat the Lord with the respect and homage that He and only He deserves. Consider these words from Solomon as written in the Book of Proverbs:

The fear of the Lord adds length to life, but the years of the wicked are cut short. Proverbs 10:27

The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life, turning a person from the snares of death. Proverbs 14:27

Better a little with the fear of the Lord than great wealth with turmoil. Proverbs 15:16

Through love and faithfulness sin is atoned for; through the fear of the Lord evil is avoided. Proverbs 16:6

The fear of the Lord leads to life; then one rests content, untouched by trouble. Proverbs 19:23

Humility is the fear of the Lord; its wages are riches and honor and life. Proverbs 22:4

Here’s what we have to gain when we show a sincere, deep-rooted respect and admiration for the Lord:

1. Longer life. Like eternally through Jesus (John 3:16)

The fear of the Lord adds length to life.

The fear of the Lord leads to life.

2. People talk about wanting the fountain of youth. Forget that. In Jesus we have the fountain of life, fully enjoying the best that life has to offer now and forever more.

The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life.

3. We are able to redefine the blessings of life, seeing that they don’t come from what the world brings but rather what we have in the Lord God Almighty, the One through which we are always abundantly rich, no matter where we might be on the world’s worth scale.

Better a little with the fear of the Lord than great wealth with turmoil.

4. A fear of the Lord leads us to want to live in His favor, to bring Him glory and honor and praise. When we live with this attitude, we live in righteousness and when we live in righteousness then we are avoiding sinfulness and the evil that comes with it.

Through the fear of the Lord evil is avoided.

5. We realize fully who the Lord is and who we are in relation. In other words, we see ourselves as insignificant in the light of His omnipotent significance. We cannot do anything without Him and we cannot stand against Him, or at least we had not better try to do so.

Humility is the fear of the Lord.

God’s word offer us great counsel today, counsel we need to heed for there’s so much to gain when we fear in a good way, in a way that shows we place the Lord where He belongs, on His throne as the Lord of Lords and King of kings, the One who reigns over us with fairness in justice but also with mercy, grace, and love.

He is the Lord God Almighty. Revere and worship Him to the fullest now and forever more.

Amen. 

In Christ,

Mark

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