The Reverence We Owe: Fearing Our Mighty God

Balancing Friendship with the Fear of the Lord

Beloved friend,

In some of my newsletters, I’ve shared about how God is our friend, someone we can be vulnerable with and lean on. But today, I want to emphasize something equally important: our God is one to be feared.

There’s a lot happening in our generation where people think they can serve God in any manner, without considering that He is to be feared. Perhaps it’s the teaching of grace that has made some feel they can disrespect God, believing that grace and mercy will always cover them. We think we can give God any type of worship and He’ll be fine with it. We feel we can serve God while still clinging to our old ways because, after all, God loves us in our imperfection. But is that the right approach?

It all boils down to whether we’ve truly encountered God. Look at the people in the Bible who had encounters with Him—they all testified that He is a God to be feared. Proverbs 9:10 says, "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding." You can’t claim to be wise or knowledgeable without fearing God.

In all your pursuits in life, if you do not grasp this wisdom, which is rooted in the fear of God, then you have gained nothing. Just as your salvation package includes acknowledging Christ as your Savior, fearing God means that you recognize His attributes—His power, majesty, and holiness.

Consider Isaiah's vision of God in Isaiah 6:1-5, where he sees the Lord seated on a high and exalted throne, and he is struck with awe and fear, saying, "Woe is me! For I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips." Or Moses, who trembled at the sight of the burning bush and God’s voice (Exodus 3). These encounters reveal the profound reverence we should have for God.

The Bible tells us, "The secret of the Lord is with them that fear him; and he will shew them his covenant" (Psalm 25:14). This means that those who fear God are privy to His deeper truths and mysteries. To fear God is to respect, honor, and revere Him above all else.

Friend, let’s balance our understanding of God’s grace with the reverence He deserves. As we walk this journey, let’s remember that true wisdom starts with the fear of the Lord. It’s not about living in terror but in awe of His greatness and aligning our lives with His holiness.

What are your thoughts on this? How do you balance grace and fear in your relationship with God? Comment below—I’d love to hear from you!

With thoughts of kindness,

ABBA’s Shofar