And the spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, The spirit of wisdom and understanding, The spirit of counsel and might, The spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD (Isaiah 11:2 KJV)

The spirit of the fear of the Lord is the influence or disposition created in our hearts by the Holy Spirit that conditions us to have a reverent fear of God. Two main distinctions need to be made to properly understand this spirit— slavish versus reverent fear of God and spirit versus Spirit.

There are two types of fear of God that could exist in our hearts. The first type, which is the first to be revealed in the scripture, is the “bad” type—slavish, servile fear. This was the type of fear that made Adam Even to ran away from God after they sinned. Similarly, Paul tells us God has not given us a spirit of fear. Please note that this is not just the negative fear in general, but the slavish fear of God in particular—God is the object of the fear. He did not give you a Spirit that produces this kind of fear.

But the Spirit He has poured upon us produces a different kind of fear—the reverential fear of God. It is a healthy, holy regard for God that creates a respectful awe in our hearts always for Him and prompts us to obey and keep His words. This kind of fear, the reverential type, is produced in us by what Isaiah called the “spirit …of the fear of the LORD” above.

This spirit of the fear of the Lord is closely related to but distinct from the Holy Spirit. It is a product of the Holy Spirit( upper case ‘S’) and our human spirit( lower case ‘s’) that produces the tendency, disposition, or ability in our hearts to exhibit the reverential fear of the Lord(read more about Spirit and spirit). This spirit, therefore, is the Holy Spirit operating in our human spirit, just as the spirit of wisdom and knowledge. So if God wants you to fear Him, He will pour upon you the Holy Spirit, who will pour upon us the spirit of the fear of the Lord! This is similar to the Spirit shedding the love of God in our hearts ( Rom. 5:6).

Oh, how we need the spirit of the fear of the Lord in these crazy and perilous times!

What is the spirit of the fear of the Lord in your own words?

Apply the Word

A crucial role of the fear of the Lord in our hearts is to keep us from sin( Prov. 16:6). Let the Spirit fill your heart with the spirit of the fear of the Lord!

Ask the Father for an outpouring of the spirit of the fear of the Lord in your life. 

Read & Watch

What is the Fear of the Lord?

Do not Lose the fear of the Lord

The seven spirits of God: Spirit and spirit.

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View all Deshen Daily devotionals including today’s devotional.

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