Psalm 112:1-4, 7 NIV – Whom shall we fear?

Praise the Lord!  Blessed is the man who fears the Lord, who delights greatly in His commandments.  His descendants will be mighty on earth; the generation of the upright will be blessed.  Wealth and riches will be in His house, and His righteousness endures forever.  Unto the upright there arises light in the darkness; He is gracious, and full of compassion, and righteous.  He will not be afraid of evil tidings; his heart is steadfast, trusting in the Lord.

Blessed is the man.  When the Lord says you are blessed, by golly you are blessed.  The fear of the Lord is not a scary thing but rather an attitude of the heart whereby we love Jesus so much for what He accomplished at Calvary for us that we honor and give reverent praise to Him as our eternal Savior.  This attitude of the heart remains with us and is demonstrated by how we think, how we act, and what we say.  We honor God in all things.  And as a result, the Lord promises to bless us.  He not only promises to bless us, but promises to bless our descendants.  Our children will be blessed.  Our children’s children will be blessed.

The fear of the Lord leads to a total covering over you.  In this scripture, darkness is a metaphor for troubled times.  Tough times come, but for those who fear the Lord, there  is an understanding that, “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” (Romans 8:28 NIV)  We can then stand strong in trouble and distress knowing that God will bring us through it.  Scripture tells us that, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; all who follow his precepts have good understanding.  To him belongs eternal praise.” (Psalm 111:10 NIV)  

We do not have to fear what lies ahead of us.  Sometimes thoughts rise up in our minds about what the future holds.  In Christ Jesus, we have Victory and knowledge that God is with us.  This scripture tells us that as we fear the Lord, we will not be afraid.  It says our hearts will remain steadfast as we trust in the Lord.  I’ve often quoted Proverbs 3:5-6 (NKJV), “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.”  We must rely totally upon the Word of God and the promises that are revealed in it.  Acknowledging who God is demonstrates a mind that submits to the authority of God and one who knows Him.

The fear of the Lord leads us to understand that it is God who guides us to our final goal; to the finish line.  We are reminded, “Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” (Hebrews 12:1-3 NKJV)

Friend, we can make it.  God is with us and He will direct our paths.  As we seek the Lord, and trust in the Lord, in the fear of the Lord, the New Year shall not frighten us.  “I sought the Lord, and He heard me, and delivered me from all my fears.” (Psalm 34:4 NKJV)  God will protect us and our children and they will be mighty on the earth; His wealth and riches will be in our house; and His righteousness will endure forever.  The prophet Jeremiah said this, “They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream.  It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green.  It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.” (Jeremiah 17:8 NIV)  What a tremendous promise from God; a promise that we can carry with us in this New Year.  When we pray, ask the Holy Spirit to guide you into a greater understanding of the fear of the Lord.

Holy and gracious Lord.  Thank You that You cover us with Your love and protection.  Teach us Lord to fear You even more.  To encounter You in Holy reverence, coming to You humbly as we meet.  Lord to fear You means to love You, to honor You, and to praise You.  Thank You for Your saving sacrifice at Calvary.  Thank You that You died for all of us so that we could be with You forever in heaven.  Teach us Lord to trust in You more and more.  As we acknowledge You, Lord, direct our paths towards Your righteousness.  We delight in You Lord and give You praise.  In Jesus Name.  AMEN.

 Don’t believe me, believe God!