Fear the Lord and Fear Not; Awe and Reverence for GodSample

Be Careful What You Fear

The Bible says that we are not to fear or worship things. We are not to fear or worship people or false gods. But we are to fear and worship the Lord:

• Deuteronomy 6:13 says we are to fear only Him and serve only Him!
• Romans 6:16 "Don't you know that when you offer yourselves to someone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one you obey—whether you are slaves to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience, which leads to righteousness?"

It is no coincidence that as the fear and reverence of God has decreased in our society, other fears have increased. As a child of God, we need not fear the confusion of the world around us because we have the promise of God that He is with us and will deliver us through our trials. We can live in peace because He is Peace.

In Daniel, chapter 6, we read that even though Daniel was found to be without corruption, he was unjustly charged with a crime against King Darius and was sentenced to be thrown into the lion's den, because he would not pray to Darius as god. Jealous coworkers set him up. However, God was faithful and kept Daniel safe in that den, not keeping him from experiencing the trial but being with him through it. Daniel was delivered from the lion's den the next day without a scratch, and the pagan king Darius praised the God of heaven, then sent an acknowledgment of God's mighty power to his entire kingdom! Daniel did not fear a human king; his overwhelming trust was in the Lord God Almighty. The same Lord will deliver you, too!

The expression 'do not be afraid' is one of the most frequent commands in the Bible. We need to return to a right relationship with God! There are at least 366 "fear nots" in the Bible, one for every day of the year, including Leap Year. God doesn't want us to go a single day without hearing His word of comfort:

• Deuteronomy 31:6 "Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you."
• Joshua 1:9 "Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go."
• 1 John 4:18 "There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear."

A "Fear not" prayer from Psalm 56:3-4: When I am afraid, I put my trust in you. In God, whose word I praise; in God I trust and am not afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?