The Fear Of The Lord - Part 3

 “Blessed is everyone who fears the Lord, who walks in his ways! 2 You shall eat the fruit of the labor of your hands; you shall be blessed, and it shall be well with you.” Psalms 128:1-2 ESV 

It is evident as we read through the Bible we see repetitively the promise of blessing for those who choose to walk in His ways. To fear the Lord in this passage does not convey a negative meaning of being afraid or dreadful, but a positive meaning of honor and respect. It is the fear of the Lord that motivates us to walk in His ways. If we sincerely love the Lord we won’t want to disappoint Him.

To fear the Lord is to hold a reverential respect that results in expressing honor to Him. However, a healthy fear of the Lord also recognizes the consequences of sin and disobedience. Certainly we don’t want to face God’s judgment for our disobedience so we willingly obey and seek forgiveness He made available to us trough redemption. 

We serve God because we are motivated by His love and mercy; but we are also motivated by His judgment. Those who parent successfully understand this for their own children. There must be a healthy balance between the two. What keeps us driving the speed limit should be the fear of a speeding ticket; believe it or not that’s a healthy fear. We should fear the consequences of wrong actions, that’s why we have law and order in our society. 

TODAY’S PRAYER

Heavenly Father, we pray that you give us a healthy perspective of what it means to fear you. Let it motivate us to serve you and walk in your ways because of your great love for us, knowing that we will one day stand before you in judgment. “And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment.” Hebrews 9:27 ESV.

God bless,

Pastor Matt