What is Fearing God?
Fearing God implies that we must be in awe of God’s holiness, obey His commandments, give him complete reverence, and respect and honor him as the God of great glory, purity, majesty, and power.
The fear of the Lord is hatred of evil. Pride and arrogance and the way of evil and perverted speech I hate. Proverbs 8:13
10 Benefits of Fearing God
- Fearing God is good as it protects us from falling into temptation and giving in to our sinful nature.
- Fearing God will make us trustworthy, deliver on our promises, and treat others with kindness.
- Fearing God will enable us to have true wisdom, which comes from understanding God’s Word and knowing God is holy, just, and righteous.
- Fearing God will avoid us being tricked into following our whims and fancies, defying God, and yielding to the inviting ways of immoral behavior.
- Fearing God will enable us to place their faith and trust in Him alone for salvation and eternal life.
- Fearing God will help us understand that God is angry about sin and has the power to punish us if we stand against and break his laws.
- Fearing God has a purifying effect on us. It drives us to hate sin, avoid evil, be careful in what we speak, protects from self-righteous behavior, and spiritually cleanses, sanctifies, and restores us.
- Fearing God will help us possess His promises. God will reward those who fear Him by giving them wealth, honor, life, security, protection, provision for daily needs, and a long life.
- Fearing God will give us spiritual comfort and security. It will lead to the anointing of the Holy Spirit, which will break every yoke in our lives, help us to become a living testimony for God, and make us useful in the Kingdom of God. The Holy Spirit will encourage us and create an atmosphere of peace in our lives.
- Fearing God will help us stay committed to following our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. It will take away the fear of sin, death, and eternal damnation. God will judge humanity, and He is aware of all our actions and motives, which we will be held accountable on judgment day. So staying on the path of righteousness laid by Jesus will instill hope for the future and help us stay in the Shadow of God.
The Fear of the Lord Poem by F.W. Faber
My fear of Thee, O Lord, exults
Like life within my veins,
A fear which tightly claims to be
One of love’s sacred pains.
There is no joy the soul can meet
Upon life’s various road
Like the sweet fear that sits and shrinks
Under the eye of God.
Oh, Thou art greatly to be feared,
Thou art so prompt to bless!
The dread to miss such love as Thine
Makes fear but love’s excess.
But fear is love, and love is fear,
And in and out they move;
But fear is an intenser joy
Than mere unfrightened love.
They love Thee little, if at all,
Who do not fear Thee much;
If love is Thine attraction, Lord!
Fear is Thy very touch.
Brief Biography of the Fear of the Lord Poet
Born in a Calvinist family, Fr. Frederick William Faber was a famous British theologian, noted English hymn writer, and founder of the community of Wilfridians, a religious society living in common without vows. Some of his popular hymns include My God, how wonderful thou art and Hark! Hark, my soul. His best-known work is Faith of Our Fathers, a hymn written in 1849. His writings include Lives of Modern Saints, The Foot of the Cross, and Notes on Doctrinal Subjects.
