Do you possess the Fear of the Lord?

The Fear of the Lord is knowing God, respecting Him, and showing Him reverence and adoration because of who He is.  Here are 8 biblical truths why having a healthy Fear of the Lord will benefit you in your life:

1. The Fear of the Lord is The Beginning of Wisdom: "The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction." - Prov 9:10, "The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding." - Prov 15:33, "The fear of the LORD is the instruction of wisdom; and before honour is humility." - Prov 1:7 Do you seek to be wise?  True knowledge and wisdom cannot come apart from knowing God who encompasses all knowledge and wisdom. (Col. 2:2-3). A wise person will be a learner all their days; not opposed to accept Godly instruction and understanding so that they may know how to live a life in which God will honor.

2. The Fear of the Lord Motivates People to Holiness: "Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the LORD, and depart from evil." - Prov 3:7, "By mercy and truth iniquity (wrong-doing) is purged: and by the fear of the LORD men depart from evil." - Prov 16:6 These verses tell us that the fear of the Lord promotes holy living. The person who truly reverences and respects the Lord as they should will not do anything that brings disgrace, dishonor or pain to the heart of the Lord. People who genuinely fear the Lord will flee from evil. The prospect of causing the Lord pain will be too great to bear! (Job is a great example of what the fear of the Lord will produce in your life, Job 1:8)

3. The Fear of the Lord Prolongs Life: "The fear of the LORD prolongeth days: but the years of the wicked shall be shortened." - Prov 10:27 This is not a blanket promise because any number of things can happen along the road of life that can take us out of here in an instant. However, generally speaking, those who live in the fear of the Lord are more likely to live to a good old age than those who live for the flesh and the world. Consider the following: Approximately 60% of human illnesses can be traced directly or indirectly to fear, sorrow, envy, resentment, guilt, hatred, or to any number of emotional stresses. Add to that the awful pain caused by alcohol (cirrhosis of the liver), tobacco, (emphysema, cancer, heart disease), and immorality, (venereal diseases and AIDS), we can see that a life lived in the fear of the Lord with obedience to His Word will result in a much healthier existence.

4. The Fear of the Lord Produces a Sense of Security: "In the fear of the LORD is strong confidence: and his children shall have a place of refuge." - Prov 14:26 When we are walking in the fear of the Lord, we can have confidence that God is on our side. Notice Romans 8:31, "What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?" The person who is walking in the fear of the Lord and is living by the Book (the Holy Bible) will have fewer feelings of insecurity, abandonment and fear. The believer in Christ has assurance of eternal security which can bring unmeasurable peace (Rom. 5:1, Phil. 4:7). The fear of the Lord will undoubtedly produce a strong sense of security and close fellowship with the Father. This is a blessed benefit!

5. The Fear of the Lord Produces an Energized & Active Life: "The fear of the LORD is a fountain of life, to depart from the snares of death." - Prov 14:27 When we walk in the fear of the Lord, we are stronger spiritually than we could be otherwise. The fear of the Lord can be thought of as a fountain that continually springs up with spiritual vitality and strength. This enables the Christian to walk cleaner and closer to God, thus avoiding the temptations, traps, and trickery of the Devil. (See Eph. 6:10-20 for full Armor of God in standing against the Devil)

6. The Fear of the Lord Makes All of Life Better: "Better is little with the fear of the LORD than great treasure and trouble therewith." - Prov 15:16 This verse teaches us that it is better to have limited resources and be in the will of God than it is to have plenty and the trouble that comes along with it. The bottom line here is this, when you are in the Lord's will, when you are walking in His fear, then your care is His responsibility. (see Matt. 6:25-33; Phil. 4:19) The life filled with "things" and riches is a trouble filled life. The life lived in faith and in the fear of God is literally carefree. You can always be content with the Lord (Phil. 4:11, Heb. 13:5)

7. The Fear of the Lord Produces Satisfaction And Safety: "The fear of the LORD tendeth to life: and he that hath it shall abide satisfied; he shall not be visited with evil." - Prov 19:23 The person who lives in the fear of God will be a satisfied person. They will have one goal in life, pleasing the Lord; and this goal produces a life worth living. The individual who fears God has their needs met; they are content and satisfied with life because they recognize the "Giver of Life." When we must have other "stuff" to make us happy, we never will be! (Solomon recognized this as he explains in Ecclesiastes) When we learn to be satisfied with the Lord and with the privilege of walking in His fear, we will be permanently satisfied. Nothing will matter but the smile of God and it will be upon our lives. Notice, the above verse says that this kind of person will not be visited with evil. We know that evil is present in the world, but the person who fears God will recognize the overcoming power of God (see 1 John 4:4). Again, we can look to Job as he emulates a healthy fear of the Lord which brings the hedge of protection by God into his life (Job 1:10.)

8. The Fear of the Lord Brings Great Blessings: "By humility and the fear of the LORD are riches, and honour, and life." - Prov 22:4 The person who chooses to walk in the fear of the Lord can rest assured that this decision will bring great blessings into his life. These blessings may not come in physical gains but there will be spiritual riches beyond belief (peace, joy, hope, security, the promises of God in His Word, the presence of God, etc.) There will be honor from the Lord and there will be abundant life! (see John 10:10) The fear of the Lord produces the greatest possible life that any person can ever live. There is no better life upon this earth than a life lived in the will of the Lord!

Conclusion: To put it very simply, walking in the fear of the Lord is going to have to be your individual decision. No one can make you do it, no one can do it for you. The decision to live a life that is ordered around a holy, reverential respect for God is a decision that you must make for yourself. All I can do is tell you that deciding to walk in the fear of the Lord will produce a better life down here and will result in a life greatly honored by the Lord. A decision to live outside the fear of the Lord (that is, living as you please and for yourself) will bring not the blessings of God, but rather His judgment to bear in your life (see Gal. 6:7). If you have trusted Christ as your personal Savior and are saved, you will never be able to get away with sin, so it will behoove you to walk in the "fear of the Lord" (Heb. 12:6, Rev. 3:19).  This is not meant to scare you as we have a loving, merciful and gracious Father who wants the very best for His children.  God sees the future so why would you resist in submitting your life to Him?

A life lived in the fear of the Lord will tell on you. If you fear Him, then you will want to honor Him in everything. He will come first and His will for your life will be evident in your existence. It is easy to see those who walk in the fear of the Lord. The Lord's approval is a priority; prayer and Bible reading are priorities; everything God says in His Word take priority and precedent over one's personal will and desires. The Lord's way becomes the only way.

By the same token, a life lived outside the fear of God is easy to pick out as well. The things of God will be secondary. Other matters will consistently be placed ahead of the Lord and His will and His work. This kind of life is usually filled with lasting trouble and trial because there is no remedy for solution. There is more heartache and disaster in a life lived outside the fear of the Lord. Mishaps turn into problems.  Problems turn into catastrophes.  Trivial concerns become frequent in a life lived apart from fearing God.

Solomon said it this way, “Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.” - Ecclesiastes 12:13

The Apostle John in the New Testament said it this way, "And this is his commandment, That we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as he gave us commandment." - 1 John 3:23

I pray that the Lord will give you a closer walk with Him. I pray that you begin to understand life from the Divine perspective: that you'll experience much more than the emptiness of life, "lived after the flesh", but instead will begin to experience the rich fulfillment of life "in the Son, lived after the Spirit." And so may God lead you by His Spirit into that full, rich life that He wants you to know and to experience in Jesus Christ (John 10:10). May you continually walk with Him in love all your days.