THE FEAR OF THE LORD

“PRAISE ye the LORD.  Blessed is the man that feareth the LORD, that delighteth greatly in his commandments.  His seed shall be mighty upon earth: the generation of the upright shall be blessed.  Wealth and riches shall be in his house: and his righteousness endureth for ever.  Unto the upright there ariseth light in the darkness: he is gracious, and full of compassion, and righteous.”

Psalm 112:1-4 KJV

It is very important that we understand what the Bible teaches us.  For many years I thought I was supposed to be afraid of God because we read “Blessed is the man that feareth the LORD”.  This doesn’t mean that we should be afraid of God like we are afraid of something or someone that will hurt us.

One of the definitions for fear in Webster’s Dictionary is “to have a reverential awe”.  We are not supposed to be afraid of God.  We are to respect Him, love Him and praise Him.  Our Heavenly Father is worthy to be praised, respected and loved.  God loves us and because He loves us God gave Jesus to die for our sins.

If you ever doubt that God loves you, remember the cross that Jesus died on to save us from our sins.  Bill Gaither wrote the inspiring hymn “Because He Lives”.  I love these words.  “God sent His son, they called Him, Jesus; He came to love, heal, and forgive;”  God and Jesus really love us and proved They love us!

Heavenly Father, we love You and appreciate You.  Jesus, thank You for loving us so much that You died on the cross for our sins.  What a day of happiness and rejoicing it will be when You come back to take us home with You and we have the privilege of seeing You face to face.  In Jesus’ Name, I pray.  Amen.      

Joanne Lowe

August 1, 2015