[192 words]
Fear is normal! It is part of human nature to fear what we cannot control (or, at least, what we perceive as what we cannot control).
Any thing that results in situations that we cannot control produce fear. We can actually fear our God in this way. Remember how the apostles feared Jesus as he walked on water and they thought they were seeing a ghost (Mark 4:35-41).
But the “Fear of the Lord” is not like this. In Deuteronomy 5:29, God exclaims: “O that their hearts would be inclined to fear Me and keep all my commandments.”
When I was in business, I was comfortable with the president of my company. But when I went into his office, I didn’t put my feet on his coffee table, and I did not call him by his first name until he invited me to do so! This is a healthy respect, a type of fear.
The fear of God is an awesome respect and reverence growing out of the greatness of the Lord. Our understanding of the character and attributes of God motivates respect and reverence and a holy fear.
Larry Fitzgerald
Woodlawn church of Christ
Abilene, TX