Day 34: 9 Blessings for Those Who Fear the Lord
Discover what the fear of the Lord is according to the Bible, verses on the fear of the Lord, and the benefits for those who have it. From the 40 Days of Daily Bread Series.
Early one morning before I was married, I was on my knees, an inch from the fibers of the ivory carpet of my bedroom. Occasionally the inevitable stale carpet dust would hinder a deep breath when I opened my mouth to worship. Deep in my heart I wanted to connect with God intimately and was determined to not let any distraction invade my Daily Time that morning.
His tangible presence increased as fast as the minutes of the clock passed. Suddenly, something felt different. It was the sixth sense of knowing another person has entered the room without seeing that person enter.
I knew my door was closed, and the worship music set at a soft volume would not drown out its opening. My sleeping parents were the only other souls in the house. They always afforded me the privacy of waiting for me to open the door after their knock or call. A burglar wouldn’t have gotten past my dog. But—who?? God??
The thought of God standing in my room sent a chill down my spine. Oh, how I wished I could muster the courage to look up and see! But I remained frozen, an inch from the floor, not even singing aloud. I was terrified, even shaking a little. But then I started thinking about it (I guess seeking God was on pause at the moment!).
Wouldn’t it be so cool if…But do I really want God in my room?? Yes!—NO! Ack! I don’t know!
What Was That Feeling of Fear?
The feeling left, and I blamed myself for not continuing to seek God. I tried to get back to worship, but I was so distracted by this occurrence of His presence. Oh, the irony…
What was that feeling of fear? It wasn’t like the same fear I knew all too well that stole my sleep in the night. As I prayed about it, it seemed like my response was the fear of the Lord—the healthy kind of fear.
The fear of God is the death of every other fear; like a mighty lion, it chases all other fears before it.
—Spurgeon
I started looking up verses on the fear of the Lord.
What the Bible Says the Fear of the Lord Is
What is the fear of the Lord? From the Strong’s (3374) yirʼâh, the fear of the Lord is fear, morally reverence. The Gesenius’ Hebrew-Chaldee Lexicon says the fear of the Lord is reverence towards God, piety.
There is a holy aspect to it.
The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring forever; The judgments of the LORD are true and righteous altogether. Psalm 19:9 NKJV
The fear of the LORD is to hate evil; Pride and arrogance and the evil way And the perverse mouth I hate. Proverbs 8:13 NKJV
9 Verses Showing the Benefits of Having the Fear of the Lord
The fear of the Lord…
- Prolongs life (Proverbs 10:27)
- Provides a refuge (Proverbs 14:26)
- Keeps you away from evil (Proverbs 16:6)
- Is a fountain of life (Proverbs 14:27)
- Gives protection from harm (Proverbs 19:23)
- Riches, honor and life (Proverbs 22:4)
- Is the beginning of wisdom (Proverbs 9:10)
- Is the beginning of knowledge (Proverbs 1:7)
- Helps the Church increase (Acts 9:31)
Apply the Word
This section is to help us respond to the prompting of the Holy Spirit.
“But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.” James 1:22 ESV
- Choose one Scripture location from this post to write out by hand in your journal.
- Write the list of nine verses showing the benefits of having the fear of the Lord above in your journal.
- Pray, asking God to give you a healthy fear of the Lord, replacing any other fear that might be present.
What is your favorite Scripture on the fear of the Lord? Share it in the comments below!
