Fear God, 217

 ~ The Conclusion of “Fear God” ~

God does not want His children living in fear.  “Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord, as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue” (2 Peter 1:2-3).  However, God does want His children to have a proper respect and reverence for Him.  We are told in many places in Scripture to “fear God.”  

This Week’s Passage  ~  “Oh, fear the Lord, you His saints!  There is no want to those who fear Him” (Psalm 34:9).

“Then those who feared the Lord spoke to one another, and the Lord listened and heard them; so a book of remembrance was written before Him for those who fear the Lord and who meditate on His name” (Malachi 3:16).

The Wisest of Advice  ~  The Book of Ecclesiastes is one of my favorite books in the Bible.  Most scholars believe it was written by King Solomon, considered by many to the wisest man to have ever lived.  Ecclesiastes recaps all the ways this wealthy king tried to find happiness and satisfaction in life – all of which were of no avail.  Then he did find the answer and this is his summary statement near the end of the book: “Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is man’s all” (Ecclesiastes 12:13).  

King Solomon who lived a “full life” and experienced all that this world has to offer concluded that to fear God and keep His commandments was the only way to be truly successful and happy.

Comment  ~  You cannot fear God in the reverential sense without loving God.  The Scripture says, “There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear” (1 John 4:18a).

Fearing God Results in Salvation  ~  “It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God” (Hebrews 10:31).  “A wise person fears and departs from evil, but a fool rages and is self-confident” (Proverbs 14:16).  This does not mean the Christian is to live a fearful life—but a life which reverences God and seeks to do His will.  

Fearing God Results in Fearlessness  ~  “The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear?  The Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?” (Psalm 27:1).  The answer is: only God.  With the gift of salvation comes responsibility.

Fearing God Results in Witnessing  ~  “Come and hear, all you who fear God, and I will declare what He has done for my soul” (Psalm 66:16). 

~ Robert Lloyd Russell, ABUNDANT LIFE NOW blog.

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