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February 5 - July 20, 2025
“Then those who feared the LORD spoke with each other, and the LORD listened to what they said. In his presence, a scroll of remembrance was written to record the names of those who feared him and always thought about the honor of his name” (Malachi 3:16).
We are human, and we will fear. The awe and fear of God is way deeper, more beautiful, and more intimate than many dare
imagine. The fear of God swallows up all destructive fears. The fear of God is the beginning of everything good.
want to show you how rightly directed fear—specifically the virtue of fearing God above all else—opens up the path to a life beyond what you have ever imagined.
“The fear of God is the death of every other fear; like a mighty lion, it chases all other fears before it.”1
Yes, fear no evil—but discover how the misunderstood virtue of fearing the Lord will cause your life to blossom into something wildly beautiful.
The prized virtue is none other than the fear of God.
Holy fear keeps us connected to the wisdom of our Creator—the only One who knows what enhances us and what undoes us.
Holy fear’s importance so vastly trumps all other virtues that Scripture identifies it as Jesus’ delight
Embracing godly fear as our most prized treasure empowers us to remain under submission to truth, and in so doing, it keeps us on the path of life, which brings remarkable rewards.
when we embrace it, we will be empowered to remain on the path of life. Here we will experience true intimacy with God and life-altering benefits—one of the
greatest of which is being transformed into the image of Jesus Christ.
Holy fear is God’s treasure; it should be ours.
I choose to value holy fear as life’s great treasure, and in doing so I will be strengthened to remain on the path of living well.
Holy fear is a New Testament truth.
However, the person who fears God has nothing to hide. He or she is terrified of being away from God.
“How close can I get to the line of sin and not fall in?” No, he or she says, “I want to be so close to
God, and so far away from that line, that I can’t even see it.”
It is not being scared of God and therefore withdrawing from Him.
Do you hear the call to intimacy? He desires for you to come close, to interact, laugh together, share together, and do life together.
God wants to be close and intimate with you. So rest assured, holy fear does not quench intimacy; it does
just the opposite—it enhances our interaction with God.
Holy fear is not to be scared of God and thereby withdraw from Him. It is to be terrified of being away from Him.
Prayer: Dear heavenly Father, thank You for delivering me from a spirit of fear through my Lord Jesus Christ. I ask You to instill in me holy fear that I may not sin against You, for this would take away from the intimacy You desire with me and I desire with You. I ask this in Jesus’ name, amen.
Profession: God has called me to be intimate with Him; therefore, I’m not scared of God, but I do desire to fear Him so that I may not sin.
In fact, I believe we’ll continue to discover the depths of both holy love and holy fear throughout eternity.
In the previous chapter we established that the fear of the Lord doesn’t drive us from God’s presence—rather just the opposite. A good and wonderful fear draws us close to Him, and laying this firm foundation is vital before we continue.
Some say that the fear of the Lord only means to reverently worship God.
While this definition is a start, it’s far from the complete picture.
“This is the love of God, that we keep His commandments” (1 John 5:3 NKJV).
In the same way, limiting holy fear to only reverent worship can cause us to miss the mark and be misled.
holy fear is a gift of love and protection from our Creator, who deeply cares and longs for us.
Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us have grace, by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear. For our God is a consuming fire. (Hebrews
12:28–29 NKJV)
reverence as “profound adoring awed respect.”
godly fear, carries the meaning of awe. For awe’s definition I looked at the original 1828 edition of Noah Webster’s dictionary. Here’s what I found: “fear, dread inspired by something great and
terrific; to strike with fear and reverence. To influence by fear, terror or respect.”
holy fear has a drawing, not a repulsive, effect.
To fear God is to reverence and be in complete awe of Him. To fear God is to hallow Him. Hallow is defined as “to 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. (Notice it is not to “dislike” what He hates; rather, it is to “hate” what He hates.) What is important to Him becomes 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...
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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’s not just a desire but an inward force determined to carry out His will, no matter the c...
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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 also to obey the delegated authority, with the only exception being if the authority tells us to sin. ...
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The fear of the Lord is the starting place for an intimate relationship with God. We become His friends, and His secrets are made known to us. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, understanding, and knowledge. It gives foresight and clear divine direction. The fear of the Lord is how we mature in our salvation and are conformed to the image of Jesus.
The fear of the Lord is clean; it produces true holiness in our lives. To abide in the fear of the Lord is to secure an eternal legacy. The fear of the Lord produces confidence, fearlessness, and security. It swallows up all other fears, including the fear of man. The fear of the Lord gives us identity, makes us productive, and empowers us to multiply. The fear of the Lord provides angelic assistance, fulfilled desires, enduring success, nobility, influence, longevity, productive days, enjoyment in life, happiness, pleasure in labor, healing for our body, and so much more.
The fear of the Lord endures forever—it will never fade. The fear of the Lord is a treasured gi...
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Point: The fear of the Lord is to love what God loves and to hate what God hates. What is important to Him becomes important to us. What is not so important to Him becomes not so important to us.
Ponder: What does it look like, practically, for me to esteem, respect, honor, venerate, and adore God above anyone or anything else?
Prayer: Dear heavenly Father, please teach me how to fear Your name, Word, presence, and all You are. May I love and take pleasure in holy fear. Holy Spirit, as I continue this journey, teach and impart God’s ways in m...
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words transform my life into the image of my Lord Jesus Christ. I ask this al...
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