The “Fear of the LORD,” is not the cowering of an animal afraid cowering and whimpering in a corner because of the cruelty it suffers from a cruel person, and afraid of further “hurt.” But the word for “fear” here speaks of the honor, affection, respect towards them because of His greatness, kindness, love and goodness to them. The desire not to hurt Him because of who He is to them. Like a child that loves their parents and thinks they hung the moon and do not want to dishonor , displease them not out of fear but out of respect, affection, admiration and love.
Here are a few reasons to show respect and fan the flames of admiration, to love, honor and obey HIM.
SOME MOTIVATIONS TO FEAR HIM INCLUDE…
HIS HOLYNESS– ” Who will not fear, O Lord, and glorify Your name? For You alone are holy; For all the nations will come and worship before You, For Your righteous acts have been revealed.” – {Rev 15:4}
His GOODNESS – “Only fear the Lord and serve Him in truth with all your heart; for consider what great things He has done for you.”- {1 Samuel 12:24}. His goodness to you, as you recount them should be motivation to fear Him.
His WONDERFUL WORKS/ POWER. -” For the Lord your God dried up the Jordan before you until you had crossed over. The Lord your God did to the Jordan what He had done to the Red Sea when He dried it up before us until we had crossed over. He did this so that all the peoples of the earth might know that the hand of the Lord is powerful and so that you might always fear the Lord your God.” – { Joshua 4:23-24}. The Power of His deliverance should be recalled by us, remembering His saving you, delivering you from bondage to spiritual freedom. “Stones of remembrance,” were set up when the LORD had done something wonderful as a remembrance and as a father and child walked by and the father would tell the child of the LORD and His great work on their behalf! Go back in your memory, ask Him to help you remember of His provision for you in His wonderful power displayed on your behalf and on behalf of others as you read his Word and hear people testify of what He has done for them. He is personally involved in your life as He was in days of old!
HIS FORGIVENESS – ” But there is forgiveness with You,That You may be feared. ” – {Psalm 130:4}. The verse begins with “If you should mark iniquity who could stand?” The answer is no one. For we all have sinned and God has known and seen and heard all of it that we have each committed. Indeed if the verse ended there what utter hopelessness. then we see that beautiful word, “BUT…” indeed here is our “But God…” Yes, He Himself offers us hope through His provision for all of our sins which we read that He “canceled” on the cross completely, eternally. The word “cancelled,” means “erased,” and was used of poor scribes who had one parchment to write on. In those days there was no acid in the ink and so the ink would lay on the top of the parchment and with a wet cloth it could be wiped off. The word spoke of “obliterated!” This is what Jesus did on the cross!He wiped away all the charges against us. Jesus paid it all! You are forgiven. Past, present, future sins all obliterated through the blood of the LORD Jesus Christ! He then, His forgiveness is motivation for fearing the LORD.
HIS HELP. – “You who fear the Lord, trust in the Lord;He is their help and their shield. ” – { Psalm 115:11}. The outworking of fearing the LORD is to trust Him. Those who fear Him, to them HE IS THEIR HELP AND SHIELD! He is reason to Fear the LORD! His kindness, goodness, personal help and security!
HIS JUDGMENTS -” and he said with a loud voice, “Fear God, and give Him glory, because the hour of His judgment has come; worship Him who made the heaven and the earth and sea and springs of waters.” -{Rev 17:4}
CHARACTERISTIC OF HIS PEOPLE- “Then those who feared the Lord spoke to one another, and the Lord gave attention and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before Him for those who fear the Lord and who esteem His name.”-{Malachi 3:16}
SHOULD BE ACCOMPANIED WITH JOY – “Worship the Lord with reverence And rejoice with trembling.”- { Psalm 2:11 }
SHOULD BE PRAYED FOR. “Teach me Your way, O Lord; I will walk in Your truth;Unite my heart to fear Your name.” -{ Psalm 86:11}.
SHOULD TEACH OTHERS HOW TO. -“Come, you children, listen to me;I will teach you the fear of the Lord. “-{Psalm 34:11}. The dear of the LORD can be learned. How good is that. And it is our responsibility to pass it on from one generation to the next.
THE LOST HAVE NO FEAR OF GOD.- “Transgression speaks to the ungodly within his heart; There is no fear of God before his eyes.“- {Romans 3:18}. The lost person, those who have no personal relationship with god through repentance towards God and faith in the LORD Jesus, they have no respect, admiration, affection, love for Him.
As you Read His Word, meditate upon the LORD JESUS and what it reveals about Him in order to obey Him and understand in Him, wisdom is found… “Then beginning with Moses and with all the prophets, He explained to them the things concerning Himself in all the Scriptures.”-{Luke 24:27}.
As you read, look to Him, lean on Him, learn from Him and the Spirit of God will teach you and He comes to glorify Him and this HE will do for you.
Trust Him
Know Him
Submit to Him
Live to Honor Him.
He Loves You!