“The fear of man lays a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord is safe.” Prov 29: 25 (ESV).
I shudder when I think about the impact making decisions based on what people think had in my life.
I am not even talking about sinful decisions, just everyday life choices made from the perspective of pleasing man. Would I have chosen differently if I knew it was a snare? There is only one who lays a snare – the enemy of our souls. I admire godly people who seem to have conquered the fear of man, and while I have observed their actions, the secret was actually found in their thinking. To be more specific, it was at the root of their thought process. Their actions and decisions were simply fruit that could be traced to that root.
It has been said that our fears frame how we make decisions or envision the future. None of us are fearless. The question is, what do I fear? If I could choose my fear, I would choose the Fear of God. Interestingly, this fear leads us away from snares.
The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life, to depart from the snares of death. Prov 14:27 (KJV).
What is the Fear of God?
Two kinds of fear referred to in the Bible are the emotions that may cause trembling in what seems like a dangerous situation, and the other is reverential respect. Does the Fear of God have to be one or the other, or could it be both?
Biblical accounts of a tangible encounter between God (or His angels) and man first brought fear in the heart of man before they were encouraged to ‘fear not. This calmed the trembling, assuring them that they were in the presence of perfect love. Nonetheless, the sheer magnificence and holiness of God’s presence maintained the aura of awe, reverence, honour and deference. We see this in the God encounters in Abram’s vision (Gen 15:1), Moses and the burning bush (Exodus 3: 1-2), and Ezekiel’s vision of the Throne Room (Ezekiel 1). Trembling fear transitioned into reverential fear, which was sustained during their life journey with God.
Matt 10:28 says, “And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear Him who can destroy both soul and body in hell.” This Scripture recognizes the fearful nature of God’s supreme power and the consequences of being willfully separated from Him – total and eternal destruction. God never gave humanity a false sense of peace where destruction lay ahead, neither should we. However, God’s perfect love drives out the fear of eternal torment (1 John 4:18) AND all other fears. All we need to do is choose Him (John 6:37). We are never told to fear the devil but rather to resist him.
This statement by Robert B. Strimple captures my thoughts about the Fear of God – “There is the convergence of awe, reverence, adoration, honor, worship, confidence, thankfulness, love, and, yes, fear.”
Why ‘The Fear of God’?
“Let all the earth fear the LORD; let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of Him!” Psalm 33:8
I have heard it said that the root of sin in the church today is that there is very little, if any, fear of God. In Exodus 20:20, Moses said to the people, “Do not be afraid. God has come to test you so that the fear of God will be with you to keep you from sinning.”
At its core, the sin issue of humanity is not about disobedience; it’s about the absence of the fear of God. Prov 8 says the Fear of the Lord is to hate evil and Prov 14:2 says, ‘He who walks in His uprightness fears the Lord, but he who is devious in his ways despises him.’
Paul exhorts the church to work out our own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in us (Phil 2:12-13). The Fear of God was not meant to draw us to God (His love does that); instead, it is the reward for those who choose to draw to God and know Him intimately.
The reward, really?
Prov 28:14 “Blessed is the one who fears the Lord always, but whoever hardens his heart will fall into calamity.”
Psalm 34:7 “The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear Him, and delivers them.”
Psalm 112:1 “How blessed is the man who fears the Lord, who greatly delights in His commandments.”
Psalm 31:19 “Oh, how abundant is your goodness, which you have stored up for those who fear you…”
Ps 19: 9a says, ‘The fear of the Lord is pure, enduring forever. This purity likely makes the Fear of God the gateway into the journey of wisdom (Prov1:7; Prov 9:10; Prov 4:7).
It’s time to go back to being God-fearing people, a fear that’s birth in spiritual God encounters and therefore sustained in our walk with Him, enabling us to “fear not.”
Prayer
Heavenly Father, reveal to me what the Fear of God is and teach me to walk in it; that I may enter the gateway to the path of wisdom and walk in a manner that honours and pleases You. As I do this, I trust that I will be set free from all other fears (snares) and rest secure in Your goodness, lovingkindness and faithfulness. In Jesus Name, Amen.
Kristina Heatley
Wow. What an inspiring piece of writing! It’s so very true and simple. The more I fear god, the more I tend to want to obey him. Fearing him has set me on the right track, and I am free from my people-pleasing past. I no longer give any energy to how others perceive me.
Ernestina Francois
What a marvelous truth!! The core of our sinful soul is definitely a result of the ‘absence of the fear of God”. Just as stated, ‘the fear of God is the beginning of wisdom (Proverbs 9:10)’. When I understood the power of God in my life, it enabled me the FREEDOM to live without fear of man. Thank you for this piece; it is inspiring, refreshing and enlightening. Cheers
Liz Bell
I love this Toju. It took me a long time to even “warm-up” to the thought of fearing God … the thought actually made me afraid. But as I inched my way in realizing His power, I wanted to know more. I also realized that the power of God is also my protection. He said to me, “Fear Not” (Isaiah 41:10)…fearing God doesn’t mean I need to be afraid of Him, but to honour Him and love Him and do His will. Thank you.