Freedom from fear, in fear of God
Martha Olawale
“Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.” Ecclesiastes 12:13-14
The Psalmist says in chapter 25:12, “What man is he that feareth the Lord? Him shall he teach in the way that he shall choose.” The word ‘fear’ always sends our mind to dark places and negativities because our brokenness has us accustomed to the fear of evil. However, understanding that the fear of God is born in light eliminates the worry of darkness because it ascertains God’s presence. How else can you walk through the valley of the shadow of death and not fear? David said in Psalm 23:4, “Ye though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil. For You are with me.”
Our love for God is rooted in our fear of Him. Again, not as world-defined but as God-defined, but it takes understanding to get to the place that we heed God’s call to not fear in His fear because in Him alone is our refuge. The fear of God builds us, and any fear outside that will break us.
I love how the Amplified Bible expounds Deuteronomy 6:13. It says, “You shall fear [only] the Lord your God; and you shall serve Him [with awe-filled reverence and profound respect] and swear [oaths] by His name [alone].” Only our fear of God adds to us because any fear outside that reduces us.
David’s confidence is not in his sword or mighty men but in his God. His fear of God earned him the title “A man after God’s own heart” (Acts 13:22). He was a warrior and king and lived up to God’s expectations of him. He only experienced the fear of man because of his sins. However, despite his mistakes, he appropriately directed his fear to God, knowing that God is full of mercy and love. He said in 1 Samuel 13:14, “I am in a great strait. Let us fall now into the hand of the Lord, for His mercies are great; and let me not fall into the hand of man.” He was conscious of God’s presence even in the direst situations known to humanity—the fear of death (Psalm 23:4), saying that because God was with him, he could walk through the shadow of death and not fear.
We must continue to grow in the fear of God because, as we do, the blurry lines between right and wrong become clearer, and we better understand how to please God. For instance, my children will not barge into our room screaming disrespectfully. This is not out of terror but out of honor. Nor is it from a place of unhealthy fear of their parents, but rather from simple reverence for us. They also know not to respond to us as they would to their friends, because they understand honor as it pertains to different people in their lives. The godly fear stems from a place of order, not chaos. Despite the awareness of it, we enjoy liberty and don’t doubt God’s love and devotion to our well-being as we grow in reverence.
The same Moses who trembled and bowed in fear of God on the mountain because he saw His glory, faced Pharaoh and all his men and chariots and did not bow to their threats. The fear of God makes you tremble in awe; the fear of evil makes you hide in terror, and you can’t submit to both at the same time. When you fear God, you grow in confidence and become immune to the fear of man, and you walk through the valley of the shadow of death with no fear because you live consciously of God’s presence.
Define fear when it comes. The fear of God comes with peace and rest. Remember that the definition affects the response, and the response determines the result. If it comes with guilt or pain, it’s the fear of man or the enemy, so turn back to God. If it comes with awe and reverence, it’s the fear of God; walk in it.
I fear the Lord because He is my Father who reigns in majesty, crowning the universe with His glory. He is bigger than my mind can travel, yet closer than each beat of my heart. I fear the Lord God Almighty, and it makes me tremble in awe of His presence and bow before Him. Fear the Lord, oh ye His people, for only in His fear lies your freedom from the fear of man and the terror of evil.
