The Fear of the Lord

Psalms 19:9 ESV

“The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever; the rules of the Lord are true, and righteous altogether.”

It may seem strange to refer to God’s law as the “fear of the Lord,” but understand it this way; when we get a deep sense of who God is and what He should mean to us, it should cause us to be in awe of who God is and what He expects of us.

This is a crude example, but growing up in the Lee household as a child meant that we had to follow orders to the T. We had to do what we were expected to do, and if we did not, we were in trouble. So, you could say that we feared the wrath if we did not obey. As I got older, I understood consequences for my actions. My parents were creating a precedent that there were consequences for disobedience not just at home, but in life. I also realized that I did not just represent myself, I also represented my mother and father, and more importantly I represented God. 

I understood that the fear of consequences brought me knowledge of right and wrong. My fear of consequences put me on the right track and I learned respect for those who watched over me, those who I represented.

God is not asking us to fear Him in the sense of fright and peril, He is asking us to fear Him that He is the Almighty and He wants the best for us. So, respect, honor and a sense of awe is for our good because God is not looking to punish us, He is looking out for our best interest. Mostly what He wants is our love, admiration and obedience and respect. He wants a loving relationship where we confide in Him and trust Him and He confides in us and trust us.

Prayer:

Lord, let Your words be a lamp to our feet and a light to our pathway, that we might come into a right relationship with You. Let those words lead us and guide us and direct our path. Show us Your ways Lord, that we might find the true meaning of being a child of God, Amen!