In the middle of the night an unfamiliar sound wakes you and your mind goes on alert. Your body gets tense and suddenly you’re on your feet moving from room to room. We have all experienced moments like that, and those responses can show us what fear is, and how it gets hold of our attention, sets the atmosphere around us, and causes us to respond. The spirit of fear takes over our thoughts, and brings doubt, worry, and unbelief that can lead to a bad ending.
In Deuteronomy 4 and 5, God said to the people that they needed to learn to fear Him. During this time, they dreaded His presence, the cloud of glory, and His voice, but still, they did not keep His commandments. God said they should have a heart to fear Him and keep His commandments; they needed to learn to fear God by putting their full attention on Him and obeying Him.
Just like when the spirit of fear comes and grabs our attention, we must train ourselves to grab our soul and give our full attention to God. That is reverence or the fear of God: setting our thoughts and desires on His commandments, His word, His will, and His blessings. We need to surround our life with thanksgiving, praise, and worship to be totally submitted to God, which will bring us to the place that we will conduct our life in line with His ways.
We are told to fear God so that the fear of man and death have no power over us. For the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom (Proverbs 1:7). While God has not given us a spirit of fear, we must let our reverence, or fear of the Lord, be a daily focus in our walk with God.
Pastor Keith Hair is a staff member of Lord of Hosts Church.
