How to Fear the Lord

What does it mean to fear the Lord? The concept is mentioned all over the Bible. But how do you know what it is and if you fear the Lord?

First, He commands to fear Him. He equates fearing Him with keeping his commandments, or obeying Him, walking in His ways, loving Him and serving Him with all of our heart. He promises a prolonged life as a result. (Deut. 6:1-2, 13, 24; 10:12, 20; Prov. 10:27, 22:4)

Fearing the Lord isn’t a feeling you muster. After all, fear, to us is an emotion. But rather it is something learned, not by sitting in church or taking a class. You learn to fear the Lord by a practice of reading His word each day—all your life. Only through that do you learn to know, love and fear God. (Deut. 14:23, 17:18-20, 31:12-13)

To that point, think of the testimony of Job. There was a man in the land of Uz whose name was Job; and that man was perfect and upright, and one that feared God, and eschewed evil. (Job 1:1) You wonder how it is that Job feared the Lord. He didn’t fear the Lord just for a day, because fear of the Lord is not a daily emotion. He had a life of fearing the Lord, and we see the key to it here: Neither have I gone back from the commandment of his lips; I have esteemed the words of his mouth more than my necessary food. (Job 23:12)

There is a distinct correlation between meeting with God in His word every day and the fear of the Lord.

My son, if thou wilt receive my words, and hide my commandments with thee; So that thou incline thine ear unto wisdom, and apply thine heart to understanding; Yea, if thou criest after knowledge, and liftest up thy voice for understanding; If thou seekest her as silver, and searchest for her as for hid treasures; Then shalt thou understand the fear of the LORD, and find the knowledge of God. For the LORD giveth wisdom: out of his mouth cometh knowledge and understanding. (Prov. 2:1-6)

Which comes first: fearing God or getting wisdom from His word. The verses above seem clear that getting knowledge, wisdom and understanding will lead to the fear of the Lord.

But notice, The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding. (Prov. 9:10) Fear of the Lord, knowledge, wisdom and understanding all go together. They are stuck together like glue.

I used to tell God all the time that I just wanted to know Him more. I felt like I had a nice taste of Him, but there was so much more about Him and of Him I hungered and thirsted to know. Then it dawned on me one day sitting through a boring, weak, mamby pamby church service. I had been trying to make a decision between that church and another one I had been visiting. Somehow it hit me. If I wanted to get to know God better, it would be from getting to know His word better, and that other church that I wasn’t sitting in at the time, was strong on teaching the Bible. I made my decision right there. I would choose the strong Bible-teaching church. My knowledge, understanding and fear of Him grew stronger only then as I was challenged with those around me at the Bible-teaching church to dig in the word myself for the amazing nuggets it holds.

I would say that those reading this who love God and meet with Him daily, anxious to know Him more and apply what they learn from the treasures of His word don’t need to wonder if they fear the Lord. They do, and they have that testimony before God.

Jody