“Always afraid?”
Happy is the man that feareth always. —Proverbs 28:14
Read Proverbs 28:1-14
To fear means to be afraid. We are all fearful at one time or an-other – scared of a certain person, or fearful of catching a disease, or terrified of exams. You, no doubt, can come up with many other examples of your own fears, even if you would rather not share them with others. Throughout history there have been people, both individuals and groups, who were truly fearful for one reason or another.
But what kind of fear could be meant in the words of our text? The fear mentioned in our Scripture passage refers to the fear of the Lord, which is very different from terror or apprehension. It is not the fear you feel when you know you have broken His commandments. This “fear of the Lord” includes loving, serving and having respect for Him. Someone who truly fears the Lord wants to honour God, which is something that can only be done as a fruit of the Holy Spirit’s work in our lives. True fear of the Lord is a gift of God’s mercy!
What does fearing the Lord mean to you?