What is the Fear of the Lord?

“The fear of the LORD is to hate evil” (Prov. 8:13 NAS).

This scripture provides a defintion for “the fear of the LORD.” Many believers are probably aware of Proverbs 9:10 (NAS), which says “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom.”

Proverbs 8:13 gives us another straightforward definition of what it means to fear God: It is to hate evil. The fear of the Lord in a person’s heart gives them a holy reverence for God that alerts them when they are wandering from God’s best for their lives. When a man has the fear of the Lord, he will keep away from evil things. Proverbs 3:7 (NAS) says, “Do not be wise in your own eyes; Fear the LORD and turn away from evil”. A holy lifestyle is produced by the fear of God, not by the fear of your pastor, parents, police, or the government. What a horrible mistake it is for society to wipe out the very idea of God, and then be surprised at the increasing degree of evil and wickedness in people. The fear of God causes us to hate evil, and turn way from sinful practices, even while no one is watching.

MEDITATE

Ponder on the scripture above. Do you see how God defines the “fear of the Lord”?

PRAY

Ask the Father to pour the fear of the Lord upon your spirit (Isaiah 11:2).

ACT ON THE WORD!

Do you have the fear of the Lord? Do you want to grow in the fear of the Lord? Each time you honor the Word by doing what God wants and refrain from doing what He does not want, you build up the spirit of the fear of the Lord in you. Protect the fear of God in your heart today, because it is a priceless jewel.

Must Read!: What is a Daily Devotional?