Fearing the LORD

Jesus taught His disciples in Luke 12:4-5, "And I say to you, My friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do. ⁵ But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear Him who, after He has killed, has power to cast into hell; yes, I say to you, fear Him!"  Rather than fearing man, we ought to fear God for His infinite power and eternal justice.  He is able to do to us what no man can, for He holds mankind accountable forever to His righteous standard.  This power of God who knows the hearts of men and has authority over life and death ought to put us in awe.

The Bible gives us another reason to fear God because of what He does for us!  Psalm 130:3-4 reads, "If You, LORD, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand? ⁴ But there is forgiveness with You, that You may be feared."  If God treated us according to what our sins deserve, we would never be able to stand before Him.  God does not turn a blind eye to our iniquities and sins, nor does He shrug them off.  God provides the means of forgiveness and pardon by the price paid by the LORD Jesus Christ on the cross, for His blood provided atonement for the sins of the world.  When we repent of our sin the LORD freely forgives us, but the satisfaction of God's justice required a price to be paid--and He paid it all.

Psalm 34:8-10 reveals we ought to fear God for all He gives us:  "Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good; blessed is the man who trusts in Him! ⁹ Oh, fear the LORD, you His saints! There is no want to those who fear Him. ¹⁰ The young lions lack and suffer hunger; but those who seek the LORD shall not lack any good thing."  God who created us supplies all our needs according to the richness of His grace, and blessed are those who trust the LORD and fear Him.  We fear Him because He is not only able to meet our needs, but does so faithfully without fail.  When we thought we had need of nothing, He saw we were miserable, poor, blind and naked and did everything to redeem and draw us to Himself with cords of love.

Every aspect of God's character is glorious, good and worthy of our fear.  If we respect someone for their physical strength, knowledge or achievements, shouldn't we fear God for all He is, what He does and gives ?  Having had our eyes opened to God's goodness, we ought to fear God for what He does to us, for us and all He gives us.  Since we have been brought into a relationship with God by His grace, we ought to heed Psalm 2:11-12:  "Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice with trembling. ¹² Kiss the Son, lest He be angry, and you perish in the way, when His wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all those who put their trust in Him."  How awesome is God and worthy to be praised, feared and served.  And how blessed are those who put their trust in Him!