The Fear of the Lord: Reverent Trust That Shapes the Christian Life
The Fear of the Lord: Reverent Trust That Shapes the Christian Life Show: Anchored in the Word (Servants of Grace Podcast)Host: Dave Jenkins Show Summary What does it mean to fear the Lord and why does it matter for everyday Christian living? In this episode of Anchored in the Word, Dave Jenkins explains that the fear of God is not terror that drives us away, but reverent trust that draws us near. The fear of the Lord produces wisdom, deepens worship, drives out lesser fears, and shapes how we read Scripture, pray, fight sin, endure trials, and live with confidence in God’s unshakable kingdom. Audio Player Video Player Episode Notes Key Scriptures Psalm 111:10 Proverbs 1:7 Hebrews 12:28–29 Acts 9:31 Matthew 10:28–31 Big Idea The fear of the Lord is trusting reverence a weighty, joyful awareness of God’s holiness that leads to wisdom, worship, obedience, and freedom from the fear of man. Full Article What Does It Mean to Fear the Lord? Few phrases appear as often in Scripture and are misunderstood as often as “the fear of the Lord.” Some hear that phrase and imagine dread, anxiety, or the kind of terror that makes a person run and hide. But that is not how the Bible teaches God’s people to understand this fear. Psalm 111:10 says, “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom.” Proverbs 1:7 adds, “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction.” Isaiah calls the fear of the Lord a treasure for God’s people (Isa. 33:6). And the book of Acts describes the early church as walking “in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit” (Acts 9:31). The fear of the Lord is not presented as a passing theme, but as a foundational mark of faithful living. The Fear of the Lord Is Not Terror, but Trusting Reverence When Scripture calls believers to fear God, it is not calling us to the kind of fear that makes us run away from Him. It is the kind of fear that draws us near—because it recognizes who God is. He is holy. He is righteous. He is sovereign. He is mighty. And He is worthy of obedience, honor, and worship. In other words, the fear of the Lord is a trembling that loves God—not a terror that hides from Him. Think of Isaiah in Isaiah 6. He sees the glory of the Lord, trembles, and confesses his sin. Yet God cleanses him and sends him on mission. Or consider Peter in Luke 5. When Jesus fills the nets with fish, Peter falls down and says, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man.” Yet Jesus does not cast him away He draws him near and says, “Do not be afraid.” True fear of God humbles us, exposes our sin, and then drives us to the grace and mercy of God. The Fear of the Lord Produces Wisdom Proverbs tells us plainly that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. Why? Because fearing God rightly does at least three vital things. It puts God in His proper place as holy and authoritative. Since God is God, His Word is true, His commands are good, and His ways lead to life. It puts us in our proper place as dependent and needy. We are not wise on our own. We are not strong on our own. We are not righteous on our own. But God is all these things, and He supplies what we lack. It reorients how we see the world. Life stops being about self-rule and becomes about God’s rule. Life stops being about our wisdom and becomes about God’s wisdom. Wisdom begins when we bow before a sovereign God as revealed in His Word. Foolishness begins when we refuse to bow to Him. The Fear of the Lord Drives Out Lesser Fears One of the great paradoxes of Scripture is this: when you fear the Lord, you fear nothing else. And when you do not fear the Lord, you fear everything else. The fear of the Lord frees us from the fear of man, the fear of the future, the fear of suffering, and the fear of death. Why? Because the God you fear is the God who saves you, keeps you, and holds you. Jesus says in Matthew 10: “Do not fear those who kill the body… rather fear Him who can destroy both soul and body in hell.” And t