Fearing Him

Ps 47:1-2

Clap you hands, all peoples! Shout to God with loud songs of joy! For the Lord, the Most High, is to be feared, a great king over all the earth.

The title, the Lord, the Most High, is a title of extreme authority and honor, one belonging to a God like no other, a God who is the king over all the earth. Wow! Such a title as this should bring fear to the hearts of men because it exposes the powerlessness of lesser gods and emphasizes the great gulf between God's perfection and human weakness. But what exactly is this fear of God? At first thought fear seems to speak of a negative response saying that God would somehow bring harm or destruction to people. But if fearing Him were this way then why clapping and shouting, why singing songs of joy? No, fearing God means revering Him for all He is, His power as well as His steadfast love and His mercy. Fearing God means acknowledging my weakness so that His power can be perfected in it. Fearing Him means declaring my dependence on Him so that His grace and mercy can flow through me. Fearing Him means living my life desiring to bring glory and honor to Him by loving and obeying all His words. Fearing Him means living practically in the light of His sovereign plan and purpose for my life. Fearing Him means having my mind and heart united to His. Fearing Him is not a cause for anxiety or stress; instead it is cause for clapping, shouting, and singing! For when I fear Him, I am His and He is mine.  

Father,

Thank You for choosing me to be Yours. Teach me more everyday what it means to fear You and live in the light of Your greatness and glory.

In Jesus name,

Amen