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THE BLESSINGS OF (the right kind of) FEAR!

Blessed is everyone who fears the Lord, who walks in His ways. Ps 128:1 NKJV

Stepping over the threshold and into the room, I instantly sensed the awesome presence of the fear of the Lord. It was the second night in Jacksonville, on our first outreach trip, and Carl and I had met the Catholic Ospreys of the University of North Florida, who had invited us to their meeting. Remarkably, the fear of God was there, and the leader was a young, Spirit-filled man. It’s an interesting reality about thresholds, and borders, because you are crossing lines of authority, and if you are sensitive in your spirit you will discern who is in charge. As I crossed the threshold at Mount Vernon in 2009, the Spirit told me that the angel of liberty had dwelt in that place for two hundred and fifty years. I learned later on that Washington had moved his family there in 1759…

When you eat the labor of your hands, you shall be happy, and it shall be well with you. Ps 128:1 NKJV

The fear of the Lord dethrones the lordship of self, and elevates God to His proper place. You have to carry a heavy dose of the fear of the Lord when you go into lawless places. The most dangerous places on earth are where there is no discernable fear of God. Whole parts of American cities are becoming lawless. When Isaac moved, the fear of the Lord fell on the unbelieving cities he passed, and they left him alone. Isaac so embodied the fear of the Lord that the Lord was called, the Fear of Isaac.

Your wife shall be like a fruitful vine in the very heart of your house, your children like olive plants all around your table. Ps 128:3 NKJV

PC Christianity doesn’t teach on the fear of the Lord, but it is one of the great central themes of all Scripture. The fear of the Lord dethrones pride, dethrones self and all of its wickedness, and elevates the soul of the one who fears to their proper place in God. Jesus is the highway to Heaven, and the fear of the Lord is the pavement of the highway. Blessed is everyone…!

Behold, thus shall the man be blessed who fears the Lord. Ps 128:4 NKJV

The fear of the Lord intimately effects the operation of the gifts of the Spirit because the gifts are to be operated in love, a selfless search for the blessing of another. Recently I watched a man anointed with compassion whose whole body shook as he reached out to heal total strangers on the street, and they got demonstrably healed. When I asked that man what drove him, he said, “Obedience! Jesus said, Heal the sick! It’s a command!” The fear of the Lord drives you to obedience… and, I’ll tell you, that man is blessed!

And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for you serve the Lord Christ…

How does the fear of the Lord effect your character? If you have it, it permeates everything you do. I can’t abide with people who say that they ‘hate their job.’ They have no fear of God! They don’t recognize where that job came from, and who they are serving, or not, through that job, and they bring destruction upon themselves. People steal from their employers. They are stealing from God! And, people wonder why they don’t get answers to prayer. We wonder why we get lousy goods and services. No fear of God!

…But he who does wrong will be repaid for what he has done, and there is no partiality. Col 3:23-25 NKJV

Then they will call on me, but I will not answer; They will seek me diligently, but they will not find me. Because they hated knowledge and did not choose the fear of the Lord… Prov 1:28-29 NKJV

The fear of the Lord is a choice. Why don’t we preach this every Sunday, and every other day of the week? The purpose of preaching is to bring people to a choice. ‘Men and brethren, what shall we do?’ (Acts 2:37). Choosing the fear of the Lord is the road to blessing. Refusing or rejecting the fear is the road to destruction. Which will you choose? As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.

…but now commands all men everywhere to repent, because He has appointed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness by the Man whom He has ordained. Acts 17:30-31 NKJV

In speaking of the fear of the Lord, do you realize that the ‘invitation to salvation’ is not an invitation at all, but rather a command? I wonder if Paul would be allowed to preach in our churches! The gracious God commands all to repent now, because the hammer is coming down later. Mercy is one of the great attributes of the Lord that causes us to fear Him, bless God forever.

What does the fear of the Lord look like? Proverbs shows us the way…

My son, if you receive my words, and treasure my commands within you…

The first thing you see here is that you have to be someone’s son or daughter. Americans especially prize their rugged individualism, their capability, their ‘can do’ spirit, but if you are going to grow you need to be a son or daughter. No one, in the fear of God, makes it by themselves because they wall themselves off with pride from their teachers, their fathers and mothers. Sons receive their father’s words (their Father’s Word), and treasure them above all else.

So that you incline your ear to wisdom, and apply your heart to understanding;

To incline yourself is to bow in humility, and the action of humility is to apply your heart. As a teacher you haven’t really reached someone until you touch their heart. The heart of the teacher and of the student must become one. Until that happens your words are merely bouncing off the ceiling!

Yes, if you cry out for discernment, and lift up your voice for understanding…

To cry out shows a holy desperation. Why do we wait for the crises of life to cry out in desperation? If you don’t have the fear of God, if you don’t have the promises of God, now is the time to cry out in desperation. Now is the time to close yourself in with God until you get the breakthrough. Take the time to seek Him until the fear of God fills your soul and changes everything about you!

If you seek her as silver, and search for her as for hidden treasures;

What do you value? How valuable are the things of God to you? People don’t have an hour to pray in tongues, but they have time for food, TV, Facebook, sleeping, etc. Let’s be honest with ourselves. What do you value? The test is in how you spend your time.

Then you will understand the fear of the Lord, and find the knowledge of God. Prov 2:1-5 NKJV

What a joy it is to talk about the fear of the Lord! I can think of no greater practical blessing, no greater encouragement to give to others than to encourage them to fear God with all their souls. As we turn the corner into 2019, let us resolve to seek Him each day more and more, living in the fear of the Lord. Won’t you join me? Love you!

Let me close with this wonderful section from Psalm 128…

The Lord bless you out of Zion, and may you see the good of Jerusalem (your city, the place you live) All the days of your life. Yes, may you see your children’s children. Peace be upon Israel (the one new man – Jew and Gentile – the body of Christ)! Ps 128:5-6 NKJV

Remember dear ones, we must be about our Father’s business…