ChoicesSample

Will you choose the fear of the Lord?

What are your fears? Frogs, tornados, clowns, the dark, or spiders? That last one is a fear that will have grown men standing on a chair! I remember being deeply afraid of the dark. Even as an adult, I would dash from the driveway to my front door, talking myself into the race as I sat in my car. Our fears can be deep set and crippling. Many last a lifetime, even if they seem unfounded and silly to those around us.

Fears can be a hindrance, but can also be helpful. We only touch a hot stove a few times before we develop a healthy fear of being burned.

In the Bible, there are two words for “fear”. One is phobos, a fear that either keeps us bound up with terror or causes us to flee in face of the unknown. The Bible has hundreds of scriptures that tell us not to have this kind of fear. The other word for fear is yirah, which is awe and respect. This type of fear keeps us safe from consequences. It’s a healthy fear.

Nearly every book in the Bible has scriptures encouraging us to yirah, to “fear God”. Fearing God is a place of safety for us. This healthy fear sets a boundary of protection around us, keeping us from evil. It is a place of knowing who He is, and of realizing whom we are not. Fear of God is a place of humility.

Satan is so deceiving. We often have a deeper fear of him than we do of God. His lies and deceptions keep us in bondage to fear of him, fear of the future, fear of death, fear of what people think, fear of things. All of these unhealthy fears drive us away from God. But, the fear of the Lord drives us em>tohim. The fear of God isn’t something that comes naturally. It’s something we have to learn, something we have to practice. It is a choice we have to continually make.

Fear of God has great rewards, but without it, we will drift away from Him.

Choose the fear of the Lord. It will drive you toward Him.