How To Fear God

How To Fear God

Throughout the Bible, God is constantly telling us what He wants from us. There are certain character traits that He wants to see in us.

Sin has damaged us all. Our hearts have been hardened by it and it makes us proud and selfish. God wants us to come to Him so that we can share the sweet fellowship that He created us to have with Him. But, our hearts have to be changed for that to happen.

This is where fear becomes most important. We must have a proper understanding of who we are and who God is before our hearts can change. Isaiah 66:2 tells us what that looks like:

Isaiah 66:2

“...But to this one I will look, to him who is humble and contrite of spirit, and who trembles at My Word.”

We understand the importance of humility and contrition, but did you catch that last part? Go back and read that again and let that thought settle in for a bit. Trembling in fear at God’s Word is a vital element in understanding who God is. This is telling us what the fear of God is all about.

Have you ever had the experience of reading God’s Word and then suddenly becoming keenly aware of your own sin and unworthiness? Have you ever been so overwhelmed by God’s Word that you had to look away from it and kneel before Him?

That is what it means to tremble at His Word. It is when the fear of God comes upon us and reminds us of the great distance that God has bridged in order to bring salvation to us. That realization drives us to our knees in fear, reverence and awe before Him.

That is by design. It is how we humble ourselves before our God in response to His Holy Word. It’s what allows us to make sense of the world and what puts us right with God.

Psalms 111:10

“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; all those who practice it have a good understanding. His praise endures forever!”