FEAR OF THE LORD

                                                       FEAR OF THE LORD

Psalm 11:10 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; all who follow his precepts have good understanding. To him belongs eternal praise.  NIV

Psalm 112:1 Praise the Lord. Blessed are those who fear the Lord, who find great delight in his commands. NIV

Proverbs 14:27 The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life, turning a person from the snares of death. NIV

Proverbs 19:23 The fear of the Lord leads to life; then one rests content, untouched by trouble. NIV

Isaiah 33:6 He will be the sure foundation for your times, a rich store of salvation and wisdom and knowledge; the fear of the Lord is the key to this treasure. NIV

Ananias and Sapphira (Acts 5:1-11 NIV)

Now a man named Ananias, together with his wife Sapphira, also sold a piece of property.  With his wife’s full knowledge he kept back part of the money for himself, but brought the rest and put it at the apostles’ feet.

 Then Peter said, “Ananias, how is it that Satan has so filled your heart that you have lied to the Holy Spirit and have kept for yourself some of the money you received for the land?  Didn’t it belong to you before it was sold? And after it was sold, wasn’t the money at your disposal? What made you think of doing such a thing? You have not lied just to human beings but to God.”

 When Ananias heard this, he fell down and died. And great fear seized all who heard what had happened.  Then some young men came forward, wrapped up his body, and carried him out and buried him.

 About three hours later his wife came in, not knowing what had happened.  Peter asked her, “Tell me, is this the price you and Ananias got for the land?”

“Yes,” she said, “that is the price.”

 Peter said to her, “How could you conspire to test the Spirit of the Lord? Listen! The feet of the men who buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out also.”

 At that moment she fell down at his feet and died. Then the young men came in and, finding her dead, carried her out and buried her beside her husband. Great fear seized the whole church and all who heard about these events.

Ananias and Sapphira, it appears, had no fear of the Lord.  They lied about the money.  They did not fear but “Great fear seized the whole church and all who heard about these events.”

I believe that what is greatly lacking in the church of today is “the fear of the Lord.”  Yes there are people and churches that do have this reverence but overall, I believe that this is not a focus in the church. 

Should we be afraid of God or should we fear Him?  “When the Bible refers to the “fear of the Lord,” it means having a deep respect, reverence and awe for God’s power and authority. Rather than causing someone to be afraid of God, a proper “fear of the Lord” leads one to love Him.”   (“What Does Fear of The Lord Mean?” Mike Bennett)

 Many times there are churches or gatherings where it is more about entertainment and not about reverence.  If we are going to be entertained, then it becomes more about ourselves than God.  If we are seeking God’s presence, then we need to come before Him with humility and give Him the glory that He is due.

Yes, God calls us His friend but unless we have respect and reverence, we are truly not acknowledging Him as King of Kings and Lord of Lords!!  As believers, we are sons and daughters of God so we should be in awe of Him Who created all things, including us!  He is omnipotent, omnipresent, omniscient and more than can be counted.  The following are 15 attributes of God to meditate on.

1. God Is Infinite – He is Self-Existing, Without Origin

2. God Is Immutable – He Never Changes

3. God Is Self-Sufficient – He Has No Needs

 4. God is Omnipotent – He Is All Powerful

5. God Is Omniscient – He Is All-Knowing

6. God Is Omnipresent – He Is Always Everywhere

7. God Is Wise – He Is Full of Perfect, Unchanging Wisdom

8. God Is Faithful – He Is Infinitely, Unchangingly True

9. God Is Good – He Is Infinitely, Unchangingly Kind and Full of Good Will

10. God Is Just – He Is Infinitely, Unchangeably Right and Perfect in All He Does

11. God Is Merciful – He is Infinitely, Unchangeably Compassionate and Kind

12. God Is Gracious – God Is Infinitely Inclined to Spare the Guilty

13. God Is Loving – God Infinitely, Unchangingly Loves Us

14. God Is Holy – He is Infinitely, Unchangingly Perfect

15. God Is Glorious – He is Infinitely Beautiful and Great

“15 Amazing Attributes of God: What They Mean and Why They Matter”

Compiled & Edited by BST & Crosswalk Staff August 17, 2019

 Our God is an awesome God!!