3:77 – Whom Shall I Fear?

#faithbites #faithjourney fear

Fear is a word that is everywhere, but what does it mean? Dictionary.com defines fear as “an unpleasant often strong emotion caused by anticipation or awareness of danger”. During a conversation about the government’s reaction to COVID19, I said someone was filled with anger, fear, and rage. He said he wasn’t afraid, but the rage and anger was right. My response was we are told to fear God. But what does that mean?

According to Strong’s Concordance , fear is from the Hebrew word יִרְאָה Yirah, which means fearing; morally, reverent. So it doesn’t mean to be afraid of the Lord or have fear like we have for most things we can’t control. To Fear God means we are in awe, reverent of his face, name, and power. Sure, there is the word fear in the bible that relates to what we mean when we say we are afraid, but not usually used to relate to God.

So, do you Fear (Yirah) God or fear (being afraid of) God?

Scripture

• The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction.- Proverbs 1:7
• And he said to man, ‘Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom, and to turn away from evil is understanding.’” – Job 28:28
• And his mercy is for those who fear him from generation to generation. – Luke 1:50

Reflection

Let’s look at the verses above with the word reverent or awe.

• Awe of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction.
• And he said to ma, “Behold, reverence of the Lord, that is wisdom, and to turn away from evil is understanding.”
• And his mercy is for those who awe (or revere) him from generation to generation.

This doesn’t sound like being afraid of our Father. This sounds like we love him, respect him, and listen to him. That is the kind of father I want to be to my children. This is also the father who when we screw up, which we do, will still love us and forgive us. Nothing to fear (be afraid of here).

So while the world outside may be frightening, we have nothing to Fear from our Father. Just his love, protection, and guidance always.

Challenge

Be in awe of your Father. Show him reverence. Reflect on his awesomeness. Know that you have nothing to be afraid of.

Prayer

Father God, many of us are afraid of tomorrow. What is going to be closed down. Who has the virus next. What is our daily life going to be like. How will I worship now that in person church services are cancelled. You know the answers to all of these. You tell us not to be afraid but to revere you and be in awe of you. Help us to remember that you were there yesterday, you are here today, and you are already in tomorrow. We love you Father. We give you all the power, grace, and honor. Amen.