To fear God, is it to be afraid of him ?

Thursday February 17, 2022

But forgiveness is with you, so that you may be feared. Psalm 130. 4

He who fears the Eternal has a strong support, and his children have a refuge with him. Proverbs 14.26

To fear God, is it to be afraid of him ?

Until his conversion to Christ, John Newton said he was not afraid of God. He openly challenged him with his cruel and depraved life. But during a storm where his boat almost sank, he was terrified. He was afraid of dying, but above all of meeting God. And this fear led him to turn to God and receive his forgiveness. He then wrote a well-known song : "Amazing Grace" : "This grace has taught my heart to fear, and grace has dispelled my fears". The immense forgiveness of God experienced by Newton made him pass from fear to the "fear" of God. He lived these astonishing words : "But forgiveness is with you, so that you may be feared".

When we discover that we are a sinner, the fear of God and the fear of judgment can seize us. What a relief then to find salvation in Jesus and the forgiveness of sins ! Then the believer trusts in God, loves his closeness, finds security and mercy in him. He is no longer afraid of God, but he is afraid of displeasing him in his daily life, because he realizes what it has cost him by making his Son bear the punishment of our sins. The fear of God is confidence mixed with great respect.

If I remain in fear of God, or if I keep the image of a harsh God, it is because I must not have discovered who he is : "God merciful and compassionate, slow to anger, rich in goodness. and in fidelity..." (Exodus 34. 6). Or else, a bad conscience drives me to flee him...

- Lord, my Saviour, what place does the fear of God hold in my life ?

Source (The Good Seed)