God is awesome, no matter what we think, whether we take the time to think about it or not. He will have His due. In Luke 19, when the Pharisees command Jesus to quiet His adoring disciples, Jesus tells them, “I tell you that if these should keep silent, the stones would immediately cry out.” How much better it is to be on the side of worshiping our risen King in holy fear than silently obeying rules and regulations!
I have been reading John Bevere's excellent book, The Awe of God: The Astounding Way a Healthy Fear of God Transforms Your Life. Personally, I have been using it in a "devotional" fashion: the chapters are short and thoughtful, supplementing the Word of God. Today's Midweek is a portion of Bevere's book in which he concisely defines the fear of God:
To fear God is to reverence and be in complete awe of Him.
To fear God is to hallow Him. Hallow is defined as 'respect greatly.'
To fear God is to esteem, respect, honor, venerate, and adore Him above anyone or anything else.
When we fear God, we take on His heart. We love what He loves, and we hate what He hates. ...What is important to Him becomes what is important to us. What is not so important to Him becomes not so important to us.
To fear God is to hate sin.
To fear God is to hate injustice.
To fear God is to depart from evil in every sense --thought, word, and action. It is to refrain from speaking deceitfully. It will not say or put on appearance that is untrue to one's heart and thoughts. It keeps our outward behavior congruent with our inward thoughts, motives, and beliefs.
To fear God is to walk in authentic humility before God and mankind.
To fear God is to give Him the praise, adoration, thanksgiving, and worship He deserves.
To fear God is to give Him all that belongs to Him.
To fear God is to tremble before Him in wonder and awe. It is to give His Word and presence our full attention.
To fear God is to obey Him. It is not just a desire but an inward force determined to carry out His will, no matter the cost. We eagerly, willingly, and immediately obey... and we carry it out to completion.
To fear God is to abstain from any form of complaining, murmuring, or grumbling.
To fear God is to respect, honor, and submit to His direct and delegated authority. It is to obey the delegated authority, with the only exception being if the authority tells us to sin.
The fear of the Lord shapes our intentions, thoughts, words, and actions.
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