How can fear be good? Fear has torment, and God has not given us the spirit of fear. The fear of the Lord is a different kind of fear. Disciples know it is the beginning of wisdom. It is the fear of missing God’s blessings. Salvation is free and heaven comes by grace, but the laws of sowing and reaping determine our earthly loss or gain. If you want to catch an early morning flight, you should be afraid of sleeping in. The airline will not wait for you. If you want to walk through the desert, you should be afraid not to bring water. These fears are just common sense. I have known the fear of the Lord since I was young. I am afraid to miss too much church because I cannot afford to let my heart wander. I am afraid not to pay my tithes, because I want blessings and not curses (Malachi 3:8). I am afraid to live in sin, for the wages of sin is death. I have learned that these fears are just common sense. The fear of the Lord means, I give every part of my life to Him. I want God’s best, so I am afraid to compromise. The Bible says, “The fear of the Lord is His treasure” Isa. 33:6. Many in the Church have lost the fear of God, and are living in compromise. God is going to restore His treasure; the fear of the Lord is coming.
The Beginning of Wisdom
Without the fear of the Lord we have missed the beginning of wisdom. Everything in life ends up going wrong without the fear of the Lord. That is why it is God’s treasure; because with the fear of the Lord, everything turns out right.
Two Ways to the Fear of God
The fear of the Lord will come to the Church. It can come in one of two ways. First, because of judgment and trauma, and second, because we choose to sit at Jesus’ feet and listen. When the early church began, one of the first miraculous signs was two people falling dead in a church service. Ananias and Sapphira lied to the Holy Spirit and God killed them. Suddenly, the fear of God came upon the church. The Bible says, “Great fear seized the whole church and all who heard about these events.” Acts 5:11
Judgment and trauma are coming to America. Great fear will come upon the Church, just as it came in the days of the early apostles.
People will panic. They will be afraid and will call upon the Lord. People will get their lives right; they will repent of compromise and sin. The fear of the Lord will turn the Church around, so He can prepare His people to receive His anointing for the work of the harvest.
When judgment comes to America, I do not expect to be afraid or to panic. In that regard, I do not expect to change. I already have the fear of the Lord in me. I ask you; do you have the fear of the Lord in you? If you have the fear of the Lord, you will not be afraid when judgment comes.
If you do not need judgment to bring the fear of the Lord to you then how do you get it? The second way to get the fear of the Lord is to sit at Jesus’ feet and listen.
“She [Martha] had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening … ‘Martha, Martha, you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.’” Lk. 10:39-42
Martha was worried and upset about many things, but Mary sat at Jesus feet and listened. Mary received everything she could. The fear of the Lord was in her and she was not going to miss anything He had for her. She found the Lord’s treasure. It would not be taken away from her.
Psalm 112 tells us of the blessings that come to those who fear the Lord. The promises are so outstanding, they are almost unbelievable.
The chapter says, “Blessed is the man who fears the Lord.” Then it gives us 8 blessings. I have the fear of the Lord, so I believe that all of these 8 promises are for me and my family.
1. My children will be mighty in the land. – vs. 2
2. Both wealth and riches will be in my house.- vs. 3
3. My righteousness will endure forever. – vs. 3
4. I will never be shaken. – vs.6
5. I will be remembered forever. – vs. 6
6. I will have no fear of bad news. – vs. 7
7. In the end, I will look in triumph on his foes. – vs. 8
8. My horn [strength] will be lifted high in honor. – vs. 9
Here is what these promises mean to me.
1. I expect all of my children to be great in the land.
2. I will be rich with finances and wealthy with quality of life.
3. Even though I am not perfect, and I will fail, my righteousness, in the Lord, will break through and endure.
4. Even though I experience a shattering earthquake, I will never be shaken.
5. Because I fear the Lord, I will be remembered on earth for a long time, and in heaven forever.
6. There is always lots of bad news. Some of it is personal and close at hand and some of it is international, but I have no fear of any bad news.
7. Demons are in real trouble, and I feel bad for any people who want to be my enemy, for in the end, I will look in triumph over all of them.
8. The strength of the Lord is my life. I will be lifted high in dignity and honor.
Some people might think that I am arrogant or proud. It is not that at all. I simply believe the word of the Lord. That is why I must have the fear of the Lord in my life. I am afraid to miss the blessings of the Lord.
Psalm 112 does not only tell us about the 8 blessings that will come to the person who fears the Lord. It also tells us the 8 things that the person who fears the Lord does.
The person who fears the Lord does the following 8 things:
1. They find great delight in God’s commandments. – vs. 1
2. They are gracious to others. – vs. 4
3. They are compassionate toward the disadvantaged. – vs. 4
4. They walk before the Lord in righteousness. – vs. 4
5. They are generous toward the needy. – vs. 5
6. They are just in all of their affairs. – vs. 5
7. They always trust the Lord. – vs. 7
8. They scatter their gifts to the poor. – vs. 9
The fear of the Lord in a person’s life has telltale signs. That person loves God’s commands, is gracious to awkward people, compassionate to the wounded, righteous in their behavior, generous of spirit and finances toward the fragile and needy, does not allow corruption, always trusts in the Lord (no matter what) and scatters their gifts, talents and kindness to the poor.
In other words, the person who fears the Lord treats other people right because God’s blessings are connected to our attitude toward others. If we love the Lord with all of our hearts and our neighbor as ourselves it means that the fear of the Lord is working in us.
Have you found the treasure of the Lord? Is the fear of the Lord deep inside of you?
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. Don’t wait until judgment falls on America before you embrace the fear of the Lord. Be like Mary. She was not sitting next to the door, like an independent person who could make a quick exit if needed. She was sitting at the feet of Jesus, totally involved and completely submitted. A person who fears the Lord has no other plan. They have given everything to Him.
2 Comments
marilyn a hall April 2, 2020
thank you for your sharing what the fear of the LORD means. the only part i question is the part that seems to teach a prosperity gospel. i don’t believe that wealth necessarily accompanies having the fear of the LORD. my parents were examples of people having the fear of the LORD but would never be considered rich in this worlds goods but we never lacked what we needed.
amey April 2, 2020
nice like it