“The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life.” Proverbs 14:27
I may sound like a wimp, but I hate horror movies. They scare me to death. I see no need to pay someone to bring horror into my life.
Now, when I came across this Proverb, I must admit, I didn’t like it. Is the Bible endorsing all the villains of all the horror movies known to mankind? Of course not! The Bible says to fear the Lord. Hey, if He wanted He could take me out right now. Bam! Gone! And for that matter, eliminate this planet in a nano-second.
But God doesn’t want to scare me into submission like a second rate horror film. No, God wants me to experience the good life. God loves me. I know this because He sent His Son to die for my sins so I will have eternal life in heaven. That is the good life eternally. And like those infomercials say on TV, “But wait, there’s more.” (I always wanted to say that but I digress.)
I can also have the good life right now, and the answer is found in that small Proverb.
It’s all about respecting God.
It’s all about being in awe of God.
It’s all about having reverence for God.
It’s about acknowledging “God is God, and I am not.”
It’s all about having a healthy and loving fear of God.
My problem is that I fear the wrong things. I fear the future. I fear what people think. I fear failure. You may have the same problems. And if you do, this Proverb is for you as well. It tells you and me not to fear those things but to fear the one who created, is in charge, and sustains the existence of everything.
Here is the cool part. When I have a healthy and loving fear of Him, my worry and anxiety disappears. My fear of the future and fear of failure disappears. Why? I can only attribute it to acknowledging I can’t do this life on my own and placing all of my fears into His hands (Philippians 4:6-7).
Does this mean I am going to start watching horror films? No! Are you crazy?! I told you I hate horror films! But I will adore fearing God by spending my time looking at a Gulf sunset, the majesty of the Redwoods, and the stars from the Sierra Mountains. That’s much more fun!
Home Application
Acknowledge your fears. You may want to write them in a journal.
Pray over those fears. Example: “God I fear I won’t have enough money. Lord, you are the great provider. I place my finances in your hands. Give me the wisdom to come to you when I fear not having enough. Amen.”
Memorize Philippians 4:6-7. It helps me when the fear raises up it’s ugly head.
David Towner is the author of Today Is My Favorite Day and the Pastor of The Harbor Church in Odessa, FL. He is married to Tonya and together they have three daughters ,Shana, Kari, and Rebekah and four grandsons, Caleb, Cohen, Cade, and Jack.
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