The fear of the Lord: that statement can invoke fear in the hearts of men. When we use fear in the same sentence with a person’s name, we keep far away. When we think of fear, we think of that an unpleasant emotion caused by the belief that someone or something is dangerous and likely to cause us pain. So, it’s natural that when we hear about the fear of the Lord, that unpleasant emotion comes alive in our hearts.
When the Bible talks about the fear of the Lord, we see, “Fear of the Lord is the foundation of true wisdom. All who obey his commandments will grow in wisdom.” (Psalm 111:10 NLT) Immediately, we must pause because that goes against everything we know about fear. We ponder, this does not sound like something to invoke that feeling of dread.
So, what then is the fear of the Lord? Let’s look at Deuteronomy 6:1-2 NASAB. “Now this is the commandment, the statutes, and the judgments which the Lord your God has commanded me to teach you, so that you may do them in the land where you are going over to take possession of it, so that you, your son, and your grandson will fear the Lord your God, to keep all His statutes and His commandments which I command you, all the days of your life, and that your days may be prolonged.”
God commanded Moses to teach the people His law. We can see that there is responsibility for Moses to teach and the people are responsible to obey. The last sentence gives a blessing: that your days may be prolonged. We live in a time when obedience and respect are in short supply. But that does not invalidate the commandments of God; we are still required to obey. Let us make a choice to be obedient and walk in the fear of the Lord.
Thought for Today: Friend, obey the Lord’s commands.
Have a blessed day and walk in faith and victory.
Victory Walk 