In the fear of the LORD one has strong confidence, and his children will have a refuge.

Proverbs 14:26 ESV

The fear of the Lord is one of those things that we could be more comfortable discussing. We tend to shy away from the idea of a God that we fear. We think of fear as a bad thing because of the adjacent feelings that we experience during times of fear, but the truth is that fear, in many circumstances, is a healthy response. We should rightly fear things. The issue is when we do not fear what we should or overly fear what we should not. We should have a healthy fear of the Lord. He is so beyond our understanding that it is hard to fathom God’s attributes, which should bring fear. As believers that fear should lead to gratefulness and confidence. We are grateful he has adopted us into his family and watches over us. We are confident because our God is faithful; all we must do is trust him.

Extended Version

When we turn to God, we move in a godly manner. God builds us up to do good works. He will give his people direction and purpose, a blessing for us and others to whom we are connected. The fear of God leads to so many blessings because the fear of God pushes us to seek God above other things. We try to find our confidence in what we do and sometimes in who we perceive ourselves to be, but we forget that we are a child of God above everything.

Challenge

List the three things about God that make you confident in who he is.

Prayer

Lord, remind me of who you are. Remind me that I am supposed to have confidence not because of who I am but because of who you are. Build my confidence. Continue to be my refuge. In Jesus’ name, amen!

So the church throughout all Judea and Galilee and Samaria had peace and was being built up. And walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, it multiplied.

Act 9:31 ESV

I will give them one heart and one way, that they may fear me forever, for their own good and the good of their children after them.

Jeremiah 32:39 ESV