The Fear of the Lord is the Healthiest Thing for You

Deuteronomy 5:29  O that there were such an heart in them, that they would fear me, and keep all my commandments always, that it might be well with them, and with their children for ever!



I just don't get the fear of the Lord like I ought.  From a humanistic standpoint, fearing God is detestable and something to avoid.  With that mindset, people view God as cruel, mean-spirited, controlling, manipulating & authoritarian.  But that is not God's true character, or the purpose of the fear of the Lord.  This kind of fear (the kind the bible describes) is healthy, good, loving and the best thing for mankind.  And, contrary to some popular teaching and belief, the fear of the Lord is not just a "deep respect" or "reverence" (although that is part of it).  The fear of the Lord is fear.  Fear that my sin before a righteous and holy God is worthy of death and eternal punishment.  Fear that an infinitely big God could have squashed me like a little bug if he so chose.  Fear of him as the almighty Creator and me, in his sight, as his needy, dependent and helpless creation.  I am nothing compared to him and I must be in acknowledgement of that reality.  But the love in the fear of the Lord is that God does not desire to do this to his creation.  He doesn't desire for any man to face the ghastly consequences for his sin.  He has called his creation to fear living the kind of life that is contrary to the life that he designed for mankind.  To fear living the kind of life that will destroy your life - that will only bring you grief and heartache.  The fear of the Lord is to hate evil (Prov. 8:13).  I can't love my sin or do things my way and fear the Lord at the same time.  The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge and wisdom (Prov. 1:7, 9:10).  The fear of the Lord prolongs days (Prov. 10:27).  The fear of the Lord brings strong confidence (Prov. 14:26) and the fear of the Lord is a fountain of life (Prov. 14:27).  None of this sounds cruel, hateful, controlling or manipulating to me.  This kind of fear will bring the best possible life.  This fear is not for God's benefit, as some would suppose, but to benefit you!  At the same time, it brings God the glory that he is due.  This is healthy fear!