Fear of the Lord

“Let all the earth fear the Lord” (Psalm 33:8a)

“You that fear the Lord, wait for his mercy, do not stray lest you fall. You that fear the Lord, trust in him, and your reward will not be lost. You that fear the Lord, hope for good things, for lasting joy and mercy.” (Sirach 2: 7-9)

We all look to God’s mercy. We all trust in God. We all hope for good things. We all desire joy in our lives. What is the key? It is fear of the Lord.

What is fear of the Lord? First, fear of the Lord is about His awesome majesty. It is a creature being in awe of his creator. The problem with the world today is that man has replaced God as the center of his life. Indeed, man has become God, man looks to his own strength and ability, and no longer cognizant of the God who is the source of all good things. Even for some Christians who do good works, Christ has been displaced from the center. In all these, man has rejected his maker and has rejected the worship due to his God. Man has now worshipped himself and the work of his hands.

To be in awe of God, to fear God is to realize who we are and who God is. We are weak and sinful while God is perfect and all-powerful. Our lives and our whole being are totally dependent upon him. So, we need to give him the worship that is his due. We need to turn our lives over to him.

Second, fear of the Lord is about obeying Him and living according to His ways. God has the power of life and death over us. But he gives his people the choice – life or death, blessing or curse? There will be bountiful blessings for obedience, but disastrous curses for disobedience. As Jesus says, as we read in Luke 12:5, “Be afraid of the one who after killing has the power to cast into Gehenna; yes, I tell you, be afraid of that one.” Right now, many are endangering their souls by their disobedience and rebellion. Fearing and obeying God is also about what we do for God according to His calling. We who are Christians are his servants, called and privileged to do his very work; but we need to respond accordingly, otherwise, there will be consequences.

As we read in Luke 12:47, “That servant who knew his master’s will but did not make preparations nor act in accord with his will shall be beaten severely…” This is especially true for those who have met Christ, and are living Christ. There are those who are also called to serve Christ, especially by sharing Christ to everyone else. God gives them the privilege of becoming his co-workers. God entrusts to them the task of proclaiming his salvation to the ends of the earth; and God has made himself dependent upon them to accomplish his will with regard to life in the world. We need to be awed at such a privilege. But with a privilege comes the responsibility.

We are but a speck in the whole universe and in the whole course of salvation history. But God loves us, knows us by name, and has given us the privilege to serve him and to make a difference in the life of others. God is good and faithful. We can put our whole trust and hope in him.

From Sirach 2:11, “Consider the generations long past and see: has anyone trusted in the Lord and been disappointed? Has anyone persevered in his fear and been forsaken? Has anyone called upon him and been ignored? For the Lord is compassionate and merciful; forgives sins and saves in time of trouble.”

Compassionate and merciful is the Lord, fear Him!