The Awe of God: The Astounding Way a Healthy Fear of God Transforms Your Life

by John Paul Bevere

I wrote this book in our fortieth year of marriage. Each year with you only gets better, and if given the chance, I would marry you again in a heartbeat. No words can express the delight and joy you bring to my heart. I would not be the man I am today had it not been for your love and support. You are wise, fun, delightful, strong, adventurous, and gorgeous. I love you forever.

So sweet

“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).

the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom (Proverbs 1:7), and not just any wisdom, but God’s wisdom. That’s not a bad place to start.

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 ev...

“The fear of God is the death of every other fear; like a mighty lion, it chases all other fears before it.”

Fear of the Lord is His treasure, a choice jewel, given only to . . . those who are greatly beloved. —JOHN BUNYAN

All has been heard; the end of the matter is: Fear God . . . and keep His commandments, for this is the whole of man [the full, original purpose of his creation, the object of God’s providence, the root of character, the foundation of all happiness, the adjustment to all inharmonious circumstances and conditions under the sun] and the whole [duty] for every man. (Ecclesiastes 12:13 AMPC)

And there shall be stability in your times, an abundance of salvation, wisdom, and knowledge; the reverent fear and worship of the Lord is your treasure and His. (Isaiah 33:6 AMPC)

Fear God, yes, but don’t be afraid of Him. —J. A. SPENDER

And Jesus urges us, “And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell” (Matthew 10:28 NKJV).

“I want to be so close to God, and so far away from that line, that I can’t even see it.”

“The LORD is a friend to those who fear him” (25:14). The firm reality is this: 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.

To fear God, is one of the first and greatest Duties of his rational Creatures. —CHARLES INGLIS

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.”1

godly fear, carries the meaning of awe.

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 a...

When we fear God, we take on His heart. We love what He loves, and w...

To fear God is to walk in authentic humility before God and mankind.

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 abstain from any form of complaining, murmuring, or grumbling.

The fear of the Lord shapes our intentions, thoughts, words, and actions.

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 produces confidence, fearlessness, and security. It swallows up all other fears, including the fear of man.

The fear of the Lord endures forever—it will never fade. The fear of the Lord is a treasured gift from our heavenly Father.

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 me; let what I read not merely be informational, but may the words transform my life into the image of my Lord Jesus Christ. I ask this all in Jesus’ name, amen.

His whole character commands our reverence because it is superlatively holy, and his name is to us a word of awe never to be mentioned flippantly, and never to be quoted without earnest thought and prostration of heart before him. —C. H. SPURGEON

Here’s a firm truth: you will never find God’s wonderful presence in an atmosphere where He’s not revered and held in awe.

When I heard the sound of his voice, I fainted and lay there with my face to the ground. Just then a hand touched me and lifted me, still trembling, to my hands and knees. And the man said to me, “Daniel, you are very precious to God, so listen carefully to what I have to say to you. Stand up, for I have been sent to you.” When he said this to me, I stood up, still trembling. (Daniel 10:9–11) Daniel was very precious to God, yet he was overwhelmed and fell to the ground. Even as he was assisted to his knees, then to his feet, he trembled the entire time. If this happens in the presence of a messenger—an angel—what happens when God Himself comes?

Before prayer, endeavor to realize Whose Presence you are approaching and to Whom you are about to speak, keeping in mind Whom you are addressing. —TERESA OF AVILA

This isn’t the presence of Abba Father; it is our holy, awesome, mighty King!1

Wow!!!

I merely pondered the awesomeness and holiness of our God.

I started quoting the Lord’s Prayer: “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name . . .” I yelled out, “That’s it! Jesus taught His disciples to come into the presence of God with holy awe and reverence!” It now made total sense to me.

Here is the bottom-line truth: where the Lord is reverenced, His presence manifests.

All things are possible if I only believe and approach God with holy fear.

AMEN

When we see Him face-to-face in all His awesome holiness and blazing glory, it will seem incredible to us that we ever had a casual thought in relation to Him. —JOY DAWSON

These massive beings are not singing a lovely song to make God feel good about Himself; rather, they are responding to what they see! Fresh new facets of His unsearchable greatness are continuously being revealed, and all they can do is cry out, “Holy, holy, holy . . .”

Very rarely does a Hebrew writer elevate the word to the third degree of emphasis. In fact, it only happens a couple times in Scripture. This would give the word or statement the highest degree of emphasis.

Worship the LORD in all his holy splendor. Let all the earth tremble before him. (Psalm 96:9)

This is the One who put the stars in their place with His fingers and gave every one of them a name.

Profession: In Christ, I am the light of the world, reflecting His glory to all whom I encounter.

Amen!

We must fear God out of love, not love Him out of fear. —SAINT FRANCIS DE SALES

Are not five sparrows sold for two copper coins? And not one of them is forgotten before God. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows. (Luke 12:6–7 NKJV)

So in stating that His thoughts about you outnumber every grain of sand on the planet, that’s huge!