‘Who are those who fear the Lord ? He will show them the path they should choose. They will live in prosperity, and their children will inherit the land. The Lord is a friend to those who fear him. He teaches them his covenant.’ Psalms 25:12-14(NLT)
‘Fear of the Lord is the foundation of true wisdom. All who obey his commandments will grow in wisdom. Praise him forever!’ Psalms 111:10(NLT)
‘Fear of the Lord is the foundation of wisdom. Knowledge of the Holy One results in good judgment.’ Proverbs 9:10(NLT)
‘And since we have been made right in God’s sight by the blood of Christ, he will certainly save us from God’s condemnation. ‘ Romans 5:9(NLT)
I don’t want to assume anything about anyone, so if you will allow me, let’s get real and personal for just a moment. For some of us, our fear isn’t about trials and circumstances that come up in life. For some of us, we fear God. We’re terrified of Him.
Maybe you grew up in church and attended Sunday school, where you learned to “fear the LORD.” This phrase can be greatly misinterpreted and, in the wrong hands, be a dangerous thought to put into a young mind.
The fear of the Lord means that we draw close to Him in awe and wonder. When we properly fear the Lord, we have a wonderful intimacy with Him.
The Bible tells us that, “Fear is the beginning of wisdom.” It also says that, “the friendship of the LORD is for those who fear Him.”
He doesn’t want you to be scared of Him and fear Him. Christ sits at the right hand of God the Father right now praying and interceding on our behalf. God loves us and wants us to appreciate and respect Him and His great love for us.
So let me just put your fears at ease. God is not angry with you. All His wrath was dealt with on the cross and has been satisfied. God is not sitting in heaven waiting to strike you with lightning. This is good news. Take great comfort in it.
Even better, when God the Father looks at us, He sees us through the blood and sacrifice of Christ. He sees us as holy, blameless, righteous, forgiven, and joy of all joys – He sees us as His beloved children. Meditate on this today.
from Take Courage by Greg Alkinson