Fear the Lord with Reverence and Joy

While adults enjoy the warmth and flickering light of a fire pit, little boys tend to have other plans. If you’ve ever seen a young kid wielding a fiery stick, waving it around like a sword — typical boy behavior — you’ve probably heard the grownups warn them to stop. Why? Because those who understand the nature of fire need to educate the younger to have respect for its power.

We’re modeling our reverence after Jesus’ reverence as we continue our Cross Training journey. Reverence comes when we know God, fear him, worship him, and live in holiness. So how does our love for God and recognition of his power lead us to fear him?

What You Need to Know

In its first sentence, the Bible introduces us to the extraordinary being who created the universe (Gen. 1:1), bringing order to chaos and filling it with life. It continues recounting his deeds of might, justice, wisdom, and love — from Noah’s flood (Gen. 6-8) to Pharaoh’s plagues (Ex. 7-12), from tablets on a trembling mountain (Ex. 19-20) to a cross under a darkened sky (Matt. 27). It’s enough to leave the reader breathless, amazed, and deeply humbled.

Someday, God will judge all people (2 Cor. 5:10; Acts 17:30-31). Knowing who will evaluate the quality of our lives gives us a clearer perspective about our lives. “The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. For God will bring every deed into judgment, with every secret thing, whether good or evil” (Eccl. 12:13-14). But that doesn’t mean he wants his children to live in fear of punishment. We have confidence and security about our future through our relationship with him, as John says, “By this is love perfected with us, so that we may have confidence for the day of judgment … There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment …” (1 John 4:17-18).

If we want to live well, fearing God is our first step toward wisdom (Prov. 9:10). Regardless of what else we know, if we don’t recognize who God is and hold him in the highest honor, we don’t know anything about life’s most important questions. How can we discern the right way and overcome temptation? It’s “by the fear of the LORD one turns away from evil” (Prov. 16:6). Do we mean a cringing, panicked fear that makes us withdraw from God? No, rightly understood, fearing God draws us nearer to him, giving our lives stability and meaning. “In the fear of the LORD one has strong confidence, and his children will have a refuge. The fear of the LORD is a fountain of life, that one may turn away from the snares of death” (Prov. 14:26-27).

What You Need to Do

Take your choices seriously. We examine ourselves (2 Cor. 13:5), and if we see any false way, we repent. We work out our salvation with fear and trembling (Phil. 2:12). With stakes this high and a God this awesome, how could we take serving him lightly? If we cautiously handle a small flame around a campfire, knowing its power to set a forest ablaze (James 3:5), how much more should we respect our all-powerful God?

Remember that each person we meet will stand before God to answer for their lives (2 Cor. 5:10). Knowing what it means to fear God, we also aim to persuade others to repent (2 Cor. 5:11). Like warning someone about a dangerous fire (2 Peter 3:9-12), we point to the Savior who can rescue.

Let your understanding of who God is affect how you worship and pray. Though he is near us, he is not our “buddy.” He’s our God. It’s enough to make us ask, “Who am I that you should think on me?” (Psalm 8:1-9). So we approach him in both joy and fear. When those who first saw the empty tomb heard that Jesus had risen, they ran to tell the others “with fear and great joy” (Matt. 28:8). The earliest Christians had a spirit of gladness (Acts 2:46), but also awe (Acts 2:42) and fear (Acts 5:11). Knowing God, we recognize his fierce power and holy “otherness” — distinct and wonderfully set above everything. Every interaction with God mingles reverence and awe with our joy and love in a relationship unlike any other. “Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire” (Heb. 12:28-29).

Through the Week

  • Read — Matt. 10:26-33; Deut. 10:12-22; Psalm 33:1-22; Heb. 12:18-29; 2 Cor. 5:6-11
  • Reflect — Ask yourself, “What humbles me when I consider God’s greatness?”
  • Request — Pray, “May all the earth fear you! May all stand in awe of you!” (cf. Psalm 33:8).
  • Respond — Find an example of God’s power and magnificence in nature, then worship him.
  • Reach Out — Ask someone, “How has fearing the Lord changed how you live?”