THE FEAR OF GOD

The fear of God.

Have you noticed that we have some phrases we use which have become almost cliché? We use them without thinking and sometimes we don’t even really understand them.

A friend asked what it meant to fear God.
I had to stop in my tracks and ponder on the statement.
Frankly speaking I spoke quite a bit with an audio message citing examples like Joseph and Potiphar’s wife. Joseph exhibited the fear of God in that instance. To my single ladies out there, that is one key attribute should look for in any man you want to marry – the fear of God! Love can be fickle; very much so😬🤦‍♀️

Genesis 39:9 NIV –
My master has withheld nothing from me except you, because you are his wife.
How then could I do such a wicked thing and sin against God?”

Proverbs 9:10 NLT –
Fear of the LORD is the foundation of wisdom.
Knowledge of the Holy One results in good judgment.

Fear Him, you saints, and you will then
have nothing else to fear;
make You His service Your delight
He’ll make your wants His care.

Once you fear God, who is man that you should fear him?

Matthew 10:28 NLT – “Don’t be afraid of those who want to kill your body; they cannot touch your soul. Fear only God, who can destroy both soul and body in hell.⁠

Today I’m doing something a little different. I asked three friends their views on the fear of God and here they are below.

Dorcas: The fear of God, to me, means living in holy, awe-filled reverence for the Creator who is the source and the sustainer of all things seen and unseen, known and unknown. By His will all things were created for Him and in Him all things hold together. Fearing God is not out of terror but a life of worship, total dependence, humility and obedience to the sovereign Lord who is All powerful yet overwhelmingly merciful in His love towards ME🤗

Richmond A: I would say fear of God doesn’t mean that you are scared of God but to have reverence for Him, acknowledging His sovereignty. Thus giving reverence to His word and His will. His word and will supercede everything else.
So, just like Pastor Joe Beachem’s song, there are certain things you want to do or say, but because of the fear of God, you don’t say or do those things.

Chris, the Anglican priest 😃 sent me an audio. I’ll attempt to summarize it 😬:
He quoted Proverbs 9:10. He contrasted a difference between the fear of God and the “fear not” that we find in the Bible. This fear is reverence, respect, honoring the name of the Lord. If you fear God, there are certain things you wouldn’t do against Him or to intentionally hurt your neighbour.
It is not about being scared of God. You hold dear God’s word and take Scripture seriously and therefore love as Jesus loved. It’s a big thing – the fear of God.
You cannot say you fear God and still try to align with the things of the world.
A lot of people are living double standard lives and covering it with church.
Church attendance does not equate with the fear of God!
In our days, people do not actually fear God; they are sinning with confidence 😢 and expect God to understand. People are doing Christianity their own way.
The standards however have not changed!
Fear God, keep His commandments.
We need to fear God and we will honour and reverence Him and love people we see with our eyes.

Back to me. 😊
How can we claim to love a God we cannot see and we can’t even be kind to our fellow neighbour??

The point about sinning confidently reminded me of this verse.

Romans 6:1-2 NLT –
Well then, should we keep on sinning so that God can show us more and more of his wonderful grace?
2 Of course not! Since we have died to sin, how can we continue to live in it?

I thank my friends for their contributions. 🤗🙏🏾
I put it to you 🫵🏽
Do you fear God?
And if you do, I pray your life is a testimony of this. We as believers are the salt and light of the earth. We are not to live as the world does.
Our bodies are the temple of the living God and are to be presented to God as a living sacrifice!

Ecclesiastes 12:13-14 NIV – Now all has been heard;
here is the conclusion of the matter:
Fear God and keep his commandments,
for this is the duty of all mankind.
14 For God will bring every deed into judgment,
including every hidden thing,
whether it is good or evil.

God bless you!
😊🙏🏽