The Fear of the Almighty

Ask anybody on the street, and they will tell you that they are a God-fearing person! People look up to someone who is God-fearing. When in need of help, we would all be inclined to first seek the aid of a God-fearing person. God-fearing people are known for being kind, merciful, understanding, forgiving, just and fair. And so it is, that The Fear of the Almighty begins with how the fear of the Lord is manifest in this world in chapter two, just after an explanation of the origin of the fear of the Lord in chapter one. Though it is hard to imagine, the fear of the Lord, or the lack thereof, is the silent motive beyond our every action. And within this reverence that we have for God there must be pure motives. Should we, merely, reverence God for whatever benefits we may gain? Isn't God wise enough to see how genuine and pure our reverence is? So, why do we reverence God? This is covered in chapter three under the basis of our reverence. Chapter nine through twelve explain the rewards of God in response to our reverence for Him. Do you want to grow in your reverence for God? Just as with our maturity, there are levels of reverence. Just as when we measure heat by degrees of intensity, there are degrees of reverence. One of the vehicles that causes our reverence to increase is commitment. The Fear of the Almighty is a study that demands commitment. This is the discipleship that Jesus demands in stating that if anyone comes after Him "they must deny themselves" (Luke 9:23). And so, while chapter four through six address the scope and the range of our reverence for God, chapter seven explains how reverence was exemplified by different Bible characters. Where there are examples of those who reverenced God and were thus rewarded, there are those who despised God and suffered grave consequences. Chapter eight gives us a list of the Bible characters who are specifically noted for their irreverent disposition. The scriptures explain the source of their irreverent disposition by its root and the outcome of their irreverence by it fruit. So, what kind of fruit do you want to bear? Do you not know that the fruit that you bear will become a legacy for your children? The fear of the Lord builds houses, governments, and nations. If society is built on institutions, then we need the fear of the Lord for those institutions to stand. The fear of the Lord is a matter of national security. A nation is not safe without a healthy number of true, God-fearing people. In his book, Shaping History Through Prayer and Fasting, Derek Prince said that the only reason God does not destroy a nation the size of the United States is because of 250,000 God-fearing individuals (the ratio that Prince deduced from the offer that God made to Abraham in holding back His wrath upon Sodom and Gomorrah). Some may wrestle with "the fear of the Lord" as an old English phase. As there is no other like God, there is no other fear like the fear of the Almighty. I consider the phrase to be no more obsolete than Mr. Beaver's explanation of how Aslan was to be revered (the lion of The Narnia Chronicles that portrayed Christ)."Aslan is a lion- the Lion, the great Lion." "Ooh" said Susan. "I'd thought he was a man. Is he-quite safe? I shall feel rather nervous about meeting a lion.""Safe?" said Mr. Beaver "Who said anything about safe? Course he isn't safe. But he's good. He's the King, I tell you."