“And now, O Israel, what does the Lord your God require from you except to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all His ways, to love Him, and to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul…” (Deuteronomy 10:12)
If we are looking for things of fundamental importance, it would be difficult to find a more fundamental concept than the fear of God. In the above text, Moses asked what God wanted from Israel, and answered this question by saying that God wanted them to fear Him, obey Him, love Him, and serve Him with all their heart. The fear of God is the first thing on this list, and that’s more than a coincidence. Many years later, Solomon said that this is the heart and soul of being human: “Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is everything that a man has” (Ecclesiastes 12:13). This statement should summarize our deepest and most fundamental view of God.
Why today is our faith so superficial, why is our spiritual discipline so ineffective, and why is our lifestyle so powerless? Given the disappearance of the fear of God from our religious practice, it is no wonder that we are weak. we can’t hope to do As our spiritual ancestors did if we were not Have been taken as they were. “By faith Noah received divine warning about things not yet seen, Inspired by the fear of God, He prepared an ark for the salvation of his household, by which he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness that is by faith” (Hebrews 11:7).
Of course, there are different types of fears, and some that are not desirable. Any kind of fear that is inconsistent with love has no place in our relationship with God (1 John 4:17-19). But respectful fear is not incompatible with love. In fact, one popular dictionary describes reverence as “a feeling of deep awe and respect and often love.” It is a mixture of love and fear of God that turns our search for God into a diligent Seeking God. If it is Godly fear that moves us, we will take with all seriousness every syllable of His revelation to us in Scripture (Hebrews 12:25-29). And taking this truth as our guide, we will yearn to draw closer to the living flame of His presence, in both awe and worship.
“The fear of God must be combined with the love of God; for love without fear makes people careless, and fear without love makes them slaves and desperate” (Johann Gerhard).
Gary Henry – WordPoints.com AreYouaChristian.com
