The Fear of the Lord
The fear of the Lord is a quality of awe and reverence for God that brings many benefits to our lives, including wisdom, a strong family, and protection from divine angels.
Charles Stanley preaches on the importance of fearing the Lord, emphasizing that it involves appropriate awe and reverence for who God is, rather than terror. He highlights how the fear of the Lord leads to hating evil, acquiring wisdom, and growing in love for the Bible and God's commandments. Stanley also discusses the blessings that come from fearing God, such as a strong family and divine protection in times of darkness and distress.
Text
Psalm 112:1-9
As we saw yesterday, the fear of the Lord does not have to do with terror or trepidation, but rather refers to appropriate awe and reverence for who God is. It is a quality that we as Christians should seek and nurture. Though we don't hear the expression often enough today, it should still be a great compliment to be known as a God-fearing man or woman.
To fear God produces all manner of fruit in the Christian's life. It leads to our hating evil as God does, and the Bible also tells us that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. (Psalm 111:10) The more we acquire divine understanding, the greater will be our love for the Bible and God's commandments.
In addition to all these assets, we find that the person who learns to fear God will have a strong family (v. 2), with children who grow to be courageous for the truth.
God-fearing people also find that "light arises in the darkness for the upright." (v. 4) This doesn't mean that we will never have dark times or periods of distress in the valley - we will have trials, headaches, and tears like the rest of mankind. But in our hardships, we are promised the light that comes from God's angels of deliverance. These protective messengers encamp around those who fear the Lord. They surround believers above and beneath so that nothing can get at you without divine permission. Ask God to help you have a proper, reverential fear of Him. It is a request He will be pleased to honor.
Sermon Outline
- The Fear of the Lord Defined
- Fruit of the Fear of the Lord
- Benefits of the Fear of the Lord
- Strong family with courageous children
- Light in darkness for the upright
- Protection from divine angels of deliverance
Key Quotes
“The fear of the Lord does not have to do with terror or trepidation, but rather refers to appropriate awe and reverence for who God is.” — Charles Stanley
“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.” — Charles Stanley
“Light arises in the darkness for the upright.” — Charles Stanley
Application Points
- We should seek to cultivate a proper fear of the Lord in our lives, asking God to help us have a reverential awe for Him.
- The fear of the Lord leads to hating evil and beginning of wisdom, so we should prioritize this quality in our lives.
- We can trust in the protection of divine angels when we fear the Lord and seek to live according to His commandments.