What does it mean to fear God, and how can we actually fear the one that we cannot see?
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What Does God Fearing Mean?
To fear God means to hold him in holy reverence and awe, which results in total surrender to his will. Psalm 89:7.
God wants us to fear him, and the kind of fear he wants from us is not the type that will make us run away from him.
It is the type that will make us worship, serve, and follow his will so that he can lead us as he wants.
The fear of God is the beginning of wisdom for those who have discovered this secret. Proverbs 9:10.
It is what the world has been missing that has made our lives miserable and hard.
It all started in the garden of Eden when man chose to obey Satan rather than obeying God.
An implication is that man chose to fear the devil and his instructions more than God’s.
It is still the same today!
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What Does It Mean To Fear God: (Why Is Fearing God Important)?
What does it mean to fear God, and why must we do it?
The following are the most important reasons why we must give God-fearing the highest priority.
He is our maker
God created us, together with all other things in the universe. Genesis 1:26-28.
We did not have any input in this, neither did we tell him how we want to be created.
He just decided on his own that he wanted some special creatures made in his image, and after His likeness.
Should we not fear such a being who can singlehandedly create other beings, and put them in a well-ordered world like ours.
You just need to take a good look at your body, for you to know what investment s God has committed there.
The whole systems in our body are working together in perfect harmony and awe-inspiring manner.
If he can make us fearfully and wonderfully (Psalms 139:14), think of how he is like in his real self.
That will be too much for us to even imagine. A great and mighty one indeed, who must be feared.
He has all power
God is the Almighty. That is the one that has all the might.
He has no equal, and there is nothing that he cannot do.
Many things are impossible for men, but with God nothing is impossible.
When he was creating the world, the bible recorded that he called what he created into existence as if they have been existing before. Romans 4:17.
He is great indeed!
Usually, we fear criminal-minded people, and dangerous animals, because they can kill.
Shouldn’t we fear the one that controls the whole of the universe?
He determines the course of our lives
We all originated from God, and he chooses the course of our lives.
It will interest you to know that no one lives for himself, or herself.
We do not have the power to influence or choose how we want our lives to be when we are coming into this world.
We do not even have the knowledge of who we are, or where we were before we were conceived in our mother’s womb.
It is God who, out of his own free volition, determines what we shall be.
That is why we see people having different natural abilities, and some of these abilities are not inherited from their parents.
The influence of God is so great upon our lives, that he can determine the number of years we have to live on earth.
That is a secret that we don’t know about ourselves, but which God knows.
What does it mean to fear God, the one who determines who our parents will be?
The one who determines our countries, and localities where we will be born.
It means we are to recognize him as the owner of our lives.
He can kill and destroy in hell
The Bible tells us categorically, that we are not to fear people who can only kill and they cannot do anything further. Matthew 10:28.
We are to fear God, who can both kill, and send the soul of the dead to hell also.
What does that mean, we usually see death as the final thing that can happen to man, and that after death nothing more can be done to someone.
The power of God is so great that he has the ability to punish even the dead further.
He has prepared hell, a place of eternal torment for Satan and his angels, as well as everyone who will not do his will.
We should fear the one whose punishments, or imprisonment do not have an end.
He has no beginning
To hear that something or someone has no beginning is very strange indeed.
This is because we are already used to seeing everything around us as starting at a particular time in the past.
For God, he has been in existence from eternity past, and he shall be forever. Hebrews 13:8.
That is very strange, but it is the truth, and that is why we must fear him.
God is older than all things, he can tell the history of all things.
He knew when all things started, and nothing has happened in our world that he does not know about.
He knows all things
The knowledge and wisdom of God are so vast that the bible calls him, the only wise God. Romans 16:27.
His knowledge and wisdom dwarfed all others, to the point that others become total foolishness.
The fact that he alone has been controlling, and coordinating the whole universe, without any assistance from anyone tells us that this is true.
God knows everything about everything at all times, from the past, to the present, and to the future. Acts 15:18.
That is why nothing can catch him by surprise, nothing can alter or influence his decisions.
He has the ability to make things change, to make what he has decided to do come to pass.
What does it mean to fear God, the one who has all the wisdom, and also knows all things about us?
It means we must realize that we cannot exist without him, not even for a second.
It is a command
We are commanded to fear God for our own good, and well-being. Deuteronomy 6:24.
Whoever does not fear God will soon find himself in a position where he becomes the enemy of God. James 4:4.
That can be very disastrous!
When Moses told Pharaoh that the God of their fathers had spoken to them and that he wants the children of Israel to be released from the bondage of the land.
Pharaoh said, “who is God,” and that he will not release the children of Israel.
He dared the Almighty God, and he and his people suffered greatly for it.
It is a terrible thing to incur the wrath of the one who has all the powers in heaven and on earth.
Many people learn to fear God a hard way.
A good example is King Nebuchadnezzar. Daniel 4:25-35.
We are enjoined to fear him the easy way, to avoid unnecessary suffering.
He is the only one we need to fear
From the beginning, God created man to dominate over his creation.
It means, all the creation will be subject to man.
The implication is that we are not supposed to fear anything among all that God created, instead, they are to fear us.
God is the only one to who we are supposed to be subject to, hence he is the only one we should fear.
You will discover that, if you make God your fear, you will not be afraid of anything again.
He is the source of blessing
God is the giver of all good things of life. James 1:17.
Not only that he made us, he is the one that is also sustaining us.
To fear him means, he will be happy and ready to always give us what we need to make life comfortable for us.
What does it mean to fear God, for all who want a continuous flow of blessings?
It means they must see God as their only source, and they must not have any other God beside him. Exodus 20:3.
How Many Times Does The Bible Say Fear God?
There are many bible verses about fearing God that we need to pay attention to.
Some of them include:
Proverbs 1:7
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction.
Those who fear God will have assess to knowledge and wisdom because they come from God.
It is not all knowledge that is good, some of them actually destroy those who have them.
The bible says;
That was where Satan lead Adam and Eve to when they ate the forbidden fruit.
When we fear God, he will ensure that we are guided right in life.
Proverbs 8:13
The fear of the Lord is hatred of evil. Pride and arrogance and the way of evil and perverted speech I hate.
What does it mean to fear God?
It is to hate evil.
The reason why some people do evil is that they do not have the fear of God in their hearts.
Everything that is evil originates from the devil, and he wants us to embrace them so that he can separate us from him.
The fear of God will keep you away from all forms of sin because you will know that God doesn’t like them.
Ecclesiastes 12:13
The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man.
You are to make fearing God your highest priority, all the days of your life.
You do not have any other duty to perform more than this.
That tells you how important fearing God is.
Also know that what will actually prove outwardly that you fear God is that, you will keep his commandments.
You will be eager to obey his word, and whenever you fall into sin for whatever reason, you will be sorry, and quickly repent of it.
Psalm 33:8
Let all the earth fear the Lord; let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him!
Yes, the whole earth has to fear God because he created them, according to his will.
Everything that God has made is unique and perfect.
He made each of them fulfill a specific purpose, which he ordained from the beginning.
Whenever they do this they prosper, when they don’t, life becomes hard and terrible for them.
This is because the whole creation is made to totally submit to God.
When a part of it does not obey this law, that part cannot fit into the perfect order God has ordained for it.
All other parts will work against that erring part, and destruction will set in.
Isaiah 41:10
Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.
When you fear God, he will make sure that you do not fear any other thing.
Instead, he will ensure that those other things are afraid of you.
For example, because Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob feared him, he made sure that they and all that they have are secured from the enemies.
They should have been easy targets for the enemies, because they have great possessions, and they are not affiliated with any nation.
God did not allow it, hence they prospered greatly in the midst of their enemies.
Proverbs 14:27
The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life, that one may turn away from the snares of death.
When you fear God, he will guide you away from doing things that will lead you to destruction, or untimely death.
The book of Romans tells us;
That is a terrible thing and a warning that the consequences of not fearing God is far more terrible than when we chose to fear him.
Deuteronomy 10:12
And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God require of you, but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all his ways, to love him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul.
God wants us to fear him with the whole of our being.
Once we are full of God’s fear, there will not be room for fearing any other thing.
Whoever has this knowledge early in life will not suffer any evil, and will be guided by God into the good life that God has ordained for him.
Luke 1:50
And his mercy is for those who fear him from generation to generation.
God is merciful, but those who enjoy his mercy most are those who fear him.
The mercy of God is very important, we cannot get anything from him except he just shows us mercy.
Fearing him is one of those things that trigger the mercy of God.
When God decides to show you mercy, he can do the unusual for you, but you will have to fear him first.
What does it mean to fear God, going by all these bible verses?
It means God has instructed us that we should fear only him so that we can continue to dwell in peace, joy, and prosperity, and also have a long life.
What Are The Benefits Of Fearing God
God did not ask us to fear him for anything, he has ordained great benefits for those who would obey, these include:
He will reveal himself to you
That is, he will make his presence and favor manifest upon you, and all that belongs to you.
It is a great privilege indeed because it means everything you do will prosper.
Joseph experienced this in the house of Potiphar his master, in Egypt. Genesis 39:2-6.
Isaac too in Genesis 26:12.
Success in life
The fear of God brings success to you because it makes you turn away from sin, the source of everything evil.
God can bless you anytime, and anyhow, there is no limit to his ability.
Abraham practically started life at the age of 75, and up till today, we are still talking about his greatness, all because he feared God.
This is the wisdom in fearing God.
Once sin is out of the way, you are all open to success and prosperity.
Victory over sin
Sin is the major problem of man, he has been battling with it right from when Adam and Eve fell from the garden.
It is the major strategy that Satan has used successfully to separate man from God, in order to frustrate the plans of God for man.
Sin is terrible indeed!
It is so serious that the only true and permanent solution that God can provide, to get man out of it, is for Jesus to come down to earth to rescue him. Matthew 1:21.
Jesus has given you the victory over sin, by his death and resurrection.
You need to make this work in your life, by fearing God and hating sin.
When you surrender your life to Christ, he will give you a heart that makes you tremble at the word of God and to live above sin.
Victory over the devil
Many people believe that the devil is the one causing all the problems we are having in the world, hence he must be feared.
How wrong they are!
Those who fear God do not need to fear the devil.
This is because, Jesus defeated him permanently on the cross of Calvary, and he gave the victory to those who would fear him mark 16:15.
The implication is that, if you fear God you are a terror to the devil.
You can resist him so that he will not be able to operate in or around you. James 4:7
You can cast out his demons from anywhere, or anyone they are occupying.
All of these you can do in the name of Jesus if you fear God.
Power To Dominate
When you fear God, you will have what it takes to dominate and rule as God ordained it from the beginning.
Read Genesis 1:26-28, and you will see this mandate that God gave to man.
Adam and Eve enjoyed it before they fell in the garden, and as the bible recorded it, it was very glorious indeed.
They never had to carry any weapon to defend themselves against dangerous animals like; lions, tigers, leopards, etc, yet none of these animals could attack them.
This dominion was restored through Jesus, who is the symbol of submission to the Almighty God.
According to Mark 16:15-16, you will have power over all things, whether physical or spiritual.
Long life
It is God who determines the number of years we are to spend on earth.
When a man pleases him, he can decide to lengthen his days.
Many people are dying young today, and it is not the will of God for them.
One of the causes of such untimely death is a lack of fear for God, which makes them continue to live in all forms of ungodliness.
The truth is, sin kills!
Eternal security
When you fear God, you will not only enjoy the benefits here on earth, even your eternity is secured.
Many people are afraid of what happens to them when they die, but those who fear God, they see death as a means of getting into a new life of indescribable joy, and peace.
God has been in existence from eternity past, hence giving a promise of eternal security is no problem to him.
What does it mean to fear God for those who are scared of the afterlife?
It means they need to put their whole trust in the person who is the solution to all problems of man.
How Do You Get God Fearing
How do you start fearing God in a world that does not have regard or recognition for God?
You can do so by doing the following:
Give your life to him
God needs to help you so that you can fear him properly.
With the natural heart of man, no one can fear God.
The natural man is totally separated from God as a result of sin, hence it will continue to disregard the authority of God.
At the point of surrendering your life to God as your Lord, and Saviour, you will get a new heart from him.
This heart is free from sin, tender, and alive to God, ready to obey him.
With that, it is not difficult to fear God.
Study about him
It is difficult to fear God when you know little or nothing about him.
A proper study about God will reveal to you who he is, and what he can do.
When you study about his power, ability, wisdom, age, and other attributes that he has, you will have no choice but to fall down in total awe, and worship him as the Lord of all.
The only place where you can study about him is through the bible.
Everything that God wants us to know about him, he has put in the bible.
When you search the scriptures with determination, and sincerity of heart, you will discover the greatness of God of the universe.
Ask for the help of the Holy Spirit
The Holy Spirit is the spirit of God, through which we can relate with him.
He knows everything about God and can relate his perfect knowledge to man.
The Holy Spirit can teach you further, or give you deeper revelations of his nature, and abilities.
He can open your eyes to behold wondrous things about God as you search through the scriptures.
You can always depend on him, and he will never fail you.
Determine to follow him
God sees the heart and knows all secret thoughts.
He knows those who want to do his will, and he knows those who are pretenders.
Nothing is hidden from him.
When you determine to obey him and follow him, he will reveal himself to you in a spectacular way.
As you acknowledge him in all that you do, you will begin to see his manifestations, power, and miracles, which will further make you fear him.
How To Pray With Bible Verses And Get Results
Commit your ways to him always in prayer
If you ever think God is not worthy to be feared, wait until you see him in action.
This is the best way to actually get to fear him.
The story of the contest between prophet Elijah, and the prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel, comes to mind in this regard.
When the children of Israel who had seen Baal as a god, and had forsaken the Almighty God, saw his fire fell; consuming wood, stone, water, dust, and sacrifice.
They immediately bowed down in total awe, and worship saying, he is God.
When you commit your ways to his hands, he will do even the impossible to bring it to pass.
In that process, you will see him in action as he fights for you, against all forces that want to withstand you.
You will know how terrible he can be when he wants to, for he is a consuming fire.
In all, what does it mean to fear God in a world of sin like ours?
It is to have the right knowledge of God and be determined to live for him as he desires us to, obey him every day, and please him in all things.
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