Love God Greatly-Fear & AnxietySample

 READ: Proverbs 3:7-8, Proverbs 9:10, Proverbs 14:26-27, Proverbs 15:33, Proverbs 31:30, Psalm 34:11-14

SOAP: Proverbs 3:7-8  

In looking through Scripture, there are many instances where we are asked to fear the Lord. At first, this might appear contrary to how we have been looking at the need to let go of our fear and anxiety. It is interesting to note that when God tells us to not fear in Scripture, He typically is asking us not to respond to other circumstances with fear. He warns us against our reaction to the world. God also instructs us, as His children that we are to fear Him as Lord. This is not a passive response of cowardice. Instead, it is an active execution of worship. 

The term “fear,” when it refers to how we should act towards God, implies a sense of reverence, awe, and wonderment. The way in which the Israelites worshipped God at the temple on the Day of the Atonement represented this sense of utter respect of the Almighty. At Jesus’ death, the curtain of the Holiest of Holies was torn, and all were given access to God. However, the command to fear remained. 

God calls us to fear, not so we will be estranged from Him, but rather so we can have a better understanding of who He is. When we revere the Lord for who He is and what He has done, we begin to refocus our own priorities because we see ourselves in light of who He is. Instead of cowering, we grow in confidence because we place our trust fully and completely in Him.

In looking at your life, do you tend to lean more on the side of hiding out of fear or walking in the fear of the Lord? Looking to the Lord as our Almighty God helps steer us forward in troubled times. What is holding you back from trusting in Him completely?

Father God, thank You for being our Almighty God in whom I can trust with my entire life. I praise You for Your greatness. Thank You for the access that I have to You through Your Son. Father, help me grow my trust in you as I consider Your greatness. In Jesus’ name, Amen.