What Is “The Fear of God?”

“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.” Proverbs 9:10

One of the greatest delusions perpetrated on humanity is a distorted view of God. This horrible lie has robbed humanity of the greatest pleasure we can experience!

Our enemy does not want us to know God for who He is because if we do—the enemy becomes powerless over our mind.

In the simplest of terms, the “fear of God” is an attitude. It causes us to modify our behavior based upon a combination of fear, respect, and awe. We offer this respect to those whom we think merit it and we do it all the time for persons less than God. We even show respect and awe for inanimate objects. 

For example, when I stood on the rim of the Grand Canyon, I was in awe of the beauty while simultaneously being very much in fear of stepping off the edge. My behavior was modified based on the Canyon’s characteristics. I was disinclined to leap off the edge of the rim. I respected the boundaries set by the jagged cliffs. I knew that to violate the Canyon’s boundaries would mean death; to respect them would be to live and enjoy the beauty and peace of the view. 

This awe and respect is also true when we meet someone we truly admire. For example, if I attend an Andrea Bocelli concert, I do not expect to jump up on stage and sing with Him. It’s his concert. He is the star. In fact, I don’t even expect to be allowed to talk to him unless I have an invitation and comply with the protocol of his security team. If I violate the rules, I fully expect to be escorted out of the venue—even if I paid for a ticket. 

But oh, how much greater God is than any of the majesty of His creation! God’s beauty is greater than the Grand Canyon and He creates music more beautiful than Bocelli’s music. And how much greater a privilege it is to be in His presence! He created all the beauty we love. He made the Grand Canyon. He gave Bocelli the gift of music. When we know God, we know the Creator of all things beautiful. 

So why do we, as mere humans, dare to think we should not also have to come to God on HIS terms? 

Ah, the old enemy is constantly on the prowl to deceive us. He is always out to make God to seem small, weak, ugly, unloving, tyrannical, unjust, and…well, you’ve probably got a few adjectives to add to the list based on your own experience. But, oh my friend, when we truly seek to know God for who He is—it is an experience that far exceeds the greatest pleasure and beauty we’ve ever known! Jesus is love. He is the way, the truth, and the life. To know Him is to know the best. 

We can only fear God and give Him the respect and awe He deserves if we know Him for who He is.

We must come to Him on His terms. This relationship begins when we are born again. Salvation gives our soul and spirit the ability to have community and communicate with Him. It is reconciliation based on HIS rules. We cannot come to God “in our own way” as so many people say. Salvation is by grace through faith. Our relationship cannot begin before we are saved. 

But once we are born again, we must also learn to build a relationship based on knowing Him for who He is. The attitudes Jesus taught us are vital to understanding God. They help us develop the correct perspective of God. For example, when we are poor in spirit, we lose our defiant independence and recognize that God is everything we need. We live in great awe and respect of His power, love and wisdom. We don’t tread rashly through life oblivious to the incredible gift of His presence. Similarly, when we habitually mourn sin and hunger after righteousness, it is proof we truly respect God’s ways and have immense gratitude for the sacrifice He paid to reconcile us to Himself. 

All of the attitudes Christ taught us are powerful tools to bring our mind and heart to give God the awesome respect He deserves! 

The Bible gives us countless descriptions of worship:

“Ascribe to the Lord, O gods, ascribe to the Lord glory and strength; ascribe to the Lord glory worthy of his name; worship the Lord in holy attire.” Psalms 29:1-2

“Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised; his greatness is unsearchable.” Psalms 145:3

“Yours, O Lord, is the greatness, the power, the glory, the victory, and the majesty, for everything in heaven and on earth is yours. Yours is the kingdom, O Lord, and you are exalted as the head over all.” 1 Chronicles 29:11

“Clap your hands, all you peoples; shout to God with a joyful voice! For the Lord is great, and is to be praised; he is great above all gods.” Psalms 47:1-2

“Let him be praised for his holy name; let his name be praised, for he is awesome, holy, and righteous.” Psalms 99:3

To give God glory is our highest purpose; our praise reflects the repose of our greatest treasure.

Tomorrow, we will look at some of the amazing treasures God gives us when we are giving Him the awesome respect He deserves.