Ecclesiastes 12: 13 - 14 (NKJV)
“Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter:
Fear God and keep His commandments,
For this is man’s all."
The sum total of what God wants from us is to fear Him and keep His commandments. When we fear God, this will automatically result in us keeping His commandments and His Word.
The fear of God is when we stand in total awe and absolute reverence of our amazing Father, so much that we don’t do anything to dishonour or grief or displease Him. To fear God is to so honour Him that even if we are given a million pounds to do wrong, our utmost respect and love for him will not allow us to do so.
The fear of God is good for us because it helps to keep us on the right path. It helps to keep us in line with God’s Word. It stops us from wilful sin. This is not a slavish crippling dread of God. The fear of God actually liberates us, whereas the fear of man ensnares us. It liberates us and fills us with the courage to do what is right in keeping God’s Word. This is even when doing God’s will is not popular or not what we will like to do.
The Apostles Peter and John feared God so they did not give in to the Jewish rulers’ instructions not to speak or teach about Jesus. Instead, they went ahead and obeyed the great commission Jesus had left them to fulfil in Mark 16:15 to great effect.
The Hebrew Midwives in Exodus 1: 17 feared God instead of Pharaoh and even at the risk of losing their lives did what was right in the sight of God. The result of their actions is that God blessed them and gave them homes.
The fear of man is a snare and a trap. The fear of God is the beginning of real wisdom and knowledge in your life. My dear sisters, let the fear of God reign in your heart from today onwards.