The Blessings of Fearing the Lord
“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding. For by me your days will be multiplied, and years of life will be added to you.” -Proverbs 9:10-11
“Fear the Lord.”
Some people bristle at this idea, and many are perplexed by it, including Kanye West, who echoed this sentiment in a 2024 interview saying, “If God is love, why should you fear Him?”
Kanye’s question inspired me to take a deep dive into scripture to find the answer. In doing so, I gained a much deeper understanding of what it means to fear the Lord and the incredible blessings and rewards for those who fear Him.
What I learned was awesome, as you will see. If you bump into Kanye, thank him for me.
Defining Fear
In order to understand what it means to fear the Lord, we first need to define fear in the proper context.
In our modern vernacular, the word “fear” has a negative connotation. It is the mental, emotional and physical state that accompanies being worried, anxious and afraid that a bad thing is going to happen, or of being in the midst of something bad actually happening.
Aside from the “fun fear” of scary movies or rollercoasters, no one wants to be afraid. No one wants to live in fear.
But this isn’t the type of fear implied by “Fear the Lord.” Our Heavenly Father doesn’t want us to live in a state of perpetual worry and anxiety, or in sheer terror, hiding from Him like Jamie Lee Curtis hiding in a closet from Halloween killer Michael Myers.
In fact, God tells us “do not be afraid” and “fear not” continually throughout scripture.
So how do we reconcile “Fear the Lord” with “Don’t be afraid?”
The word “fear” had a broader range of meaning in ancient times. Just like there is a spectrum of temperature, from cold to hot, there is a spectrum of fear. On one end of the spectrum is No Fear–remember those bumper stickers? On the other end of the spectrum is paralyzing terror. And somewhere in between is healthy fear.
Healthy fear guides many of our decisions in life. Healthy fear is recognizing a risk of harm and avoiding it, like not swimming in “Snake Lake,” or not taking a handful of mystery pills at a party, or avoiding a slippery looking patch of ice on the sidewalk.
Healthy fear is understanding the consequences of bad behavior and not engaging in it, like not robbing a bank or slapping a pit bull.
Healthy fear compels us to make healthy choices to reduce our risk of chronic illness, like exercising, eating lots of fruits and veggies, not smoking, etc.
Healthy fear also includes being diligent and responsible in your work, knowing that your superiors have the power to fire you (or promote you) based on your performance.
Fearing the LORD is the reverence, respect and recognition of His absolute power, which compels us to honor Him, trust Him and obey Him.
“Let all the earth fear the Lord; let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him.” -Psalm 33:8
“Fear the King!”
In ancient times this command meant humble yourself, bow the knee and pledge loyalty to the king. Citizens of a kingdom were expected to honor the king, serve the king and obey the king, and to make sure they were careful not do anything that displeased the king, because with one command, the king can separate you from your head.
That’s a useful but admittedly flawed analogy because human kings are imperfect. History has taught us that even the best of “good” human kings are sinful, motivated by selfish desires, flawed and prone to mistakes. At their worst, human kings are unjust, cruel and capable of unimaginable wickedness.
Our Creator, the King of the Universe is not flawed like a human king. He is perfect in love, justice and mercy.
“The LORD is gracious and merciful; slow to anger and great in lovingkindness. The LORD is good to all, and His mercies are over all His works.” -Psalm 145:8
“Clap your hands, all you peoples; Shout to God with a voice of joy. For the Lord Most High is to be feared, a great King over all the earth.” -Psalm 47:1-2
“They shall be My people, and I will be their God; and I will give them one heart and one way, so that they will fear Me always, for their own good and for the good of their children after them. I will make an everlasting covenant with them that I will not turn away from them, to do them good; and I will put the fear of Me in their hearts, so that they will not turn away from Me. I will rejoice over them to do them good and will faithfully plant them in this land with all My heart and all My soul.” -Jeremiah 32:38-41
Did you catch that? We are instructed to fear the Lord for our own good and for the good of our children.
Fearing the Lord is a good thing!
“The fear of the Lord is the instruction for wisdom, and before honor comes humility.” -Proverbs 15:33
If you aspire to be wise, start by fearing the Lord. Humble yourself and submit to Him as your King. Align yourself with His will and His purpose and obey His commands.
Wisdom starts with letting the fear of the Lord guide you in your daily decisions, which will produce blessings and rewards for you in this life and beyond. I’ll get to those shortly.
“And to man God said, ‘Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil is understanding.’ ”-Job 28:28
When you fear the Lord, you despise evil things, wickedness and sin, and you stay away from them.
“When the people (the Israelites) saw the thunder and lightning and heard the trumpet and saw the mountain in smoke, they trembled with fear. They stayed at a distance and said to Moses, “Speak to us yourself and we will listen. But do not have God speak to us or we will die.” Moses said to the people, “Do not be afraid. God has come to test you, so that the fear of God will be with you to keep you from sinning.” -Exodus 20:18-20
“Come, you children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the Lord. Who is the man who desires life and loves length of days that he may see good? Depart from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it.” -Psalms 34:11-12, 14
“The fear of the Lord is to hate evil; pride, arrogance, the evil way, and the perverted mouth, I hate.” -Proverbs 8:13
“He who walks in his uprightness (honesty, integrity) fears the Lord, but he who is devious in his ways despises him.” -Proverbs 14:2
“By mercy and truth, atonement is made for wrongdoing, and by the fear of the Lord one keeps away from evil.” -Proverbs 16:6
Jehoshaphat, King of Judah, gives this charge to his judges: “Now then let the fear of the Lord be upon you; be very careful what you do, for the Lord our God will have no part in unrighteousness or partiality or the taking of a bribe.” -2 Chronicles 19:7
The Apostle Paul writes to the church in Corinth, “Let us cleanse ourselves from all defilement of flesh and spirit (sinful desires and actions), perfecting holiness in the fear of God.” -2 Corinthians 7:1
Fearing God Means Obeying Him
Jesus said, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the great and foremost commandment. The second is like it, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets.” -Matthew 22:37-40
All the laws of morality are encapsulated in those two commandments. Love God, your Heavenly Father, and love others.
I should note that like fear, love is a word that is also misunderstood and misused. Love isn’t just affection. It isn’t just being a fan. Love is demonstrated by action. Jesus said, “He who loves me obeys my commands.” -John 14:15, 21
Many of us choose not to break the law because we fear the consequences of getting caught, jail time! But there are no special rewards for being a law-abiding citizen. That’s not the case with obeying God.
The Blessings And Rewards Of Fearing The LORD (The Good Part!)
As you read these scriptures, pay attention to the promises that accompany fearing the Lord. These promises are for you. Write them down. Read them out loud. Meditate on them. Commit them to memory. And in your prayer time, thank the Lord for His specific promises to you.
- “Who is the person who fears the Lord? He (the Lord) will instruct him in the way he should choose. His soul will dwell in prosperity, and his descendants will inherit the land. The secret (revelation) of the Lord is for those who fear Him, and He will make them know His covenant (promises).” -Psalm 25:12-14
- “How great is Your goodness, which You have stored up for those who fear You, which You have wrought for those who take refuge in You, before the sons of men!” -Psalms 31:19
- “The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear Him, and rescues them.” -Psalms 34:7
- “O fear the Lord, you His saints; for to those who fear Him there is no want. The young lions do lack and suffer hunger; but they who seek the LORD shall not be in want of any good thing.” -Psalms 34:9
- “For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is His lovingkindness toward those who fear Him. As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our sins from us. Just as a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear Him.” -Psalms 103:11-13
- “But the lovingkindness of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear Him, and His righteousness to children’s children, to those who keep His covenant and remember His precepts to do them.” -Psalm 103:17-18
- “Praise the Lord! Blessed is a person who fears the Lord, who greatly delights in (obeying) His commandments. His descendants will be mighty on the earth; the generation of the upright will be blessed. Wealth and riches are in his house, and his righteousness endures forever.” -Psalm 112:1-3
- “You who fear the Lord, trust in the Lord; He is your help and your shield. He will bless those who fear the Lord, the small together with the great.” -Psalm 115:11, 13
- “The Lord is near to all who call upon Him, to all who call upon Him in truth. He will fulfill the desire of those who fear Him; He will also hear their cry and will save them.” -Psalms 145:18-19
- “The Lord favors those who fear Him, those who wait for His faithfulness.” -Psalms 147:11
- “In the fear of the Lord there is strong confidence, and his children will have refuge.” -Proverbs 14:26
- “Do not let your heart envy sinners, but live in the fear of the Lord always. Certainly there is a future, and your hope will not be cut off.” -Proverbs 23:17-18
- “Charm is deceitful and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the Lord, she shall be praised.” -Proverbs 31:30
- “The Lord is exalted, for He dwells on high; He has filled Zion with justice and righteousness. And He will be the stability of your times, a wealth of salvation, wisdom and knowledge; The fear of the Lord is his (your) treasure.” -Isaiah 33:5-6
- “The reward of humility and the fear of the Lord are riches, honor and life.” -Proverbs 22:4
- “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight. Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and turn away from evil. It will be healing to your body and refreshment to your bones.” -Proverbs 3:5-8
- “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding. For by me your days will be multiplied, and years of life will be added to you.” -Proverbs 9:10-11
Healing to my body and extra years of life… Yes, please!
“But for you who fear My name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings; and you will go forth and skip about like calves from the stall.” -Malachi 4:2
Fearing the Lord compels us to repent and turn away from sin (pride, lust, greed, envy, deceit, etc.) and in doing so, we increase in righteousness, and with that comes healing and vitality and joy.
Those Who Fear the Lord Are Protected
- “Behold, the eye of the Lord is on those who fear Him, on those who hope for His lovingkindness, to deliver their soul from death and to keep them alive in famine.” -Psalms 33:18-19
- “The fear of the Lord leads to life, so that one may sleep satisfied, untouched by evil.” -Proverbs 19:23
- “The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life, by which one may avoid the snares of death.” -Proverbs 14:27
Sober Warnings About Not Fearing the Lord
- “The fear of the Lord prolongs life, but the years of the wicked will be shortened.” -Proverbs 10:27
- “How blessed is the person who fears (the Lord) always, but one who hardens his heart will fall into disaster.” -Proverbs 28:14
- “The conclusion, when everything has been heard, is: fear God and keep His commandments, because this applies to every person. For God will bring every act to judgment, everything which is hidden, whether it is good or evil.” -Ecclesiastes 12:13-14
- “Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but are unable to kill the soul; but rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.” -Matthew 10:28
- “If you address as Father the One who impartially judges according to each one’s work, conduct yourselves in fear during the time of your stay on earth…” -1 Peter 1:17
There are incredible blessings and rewards for fearing the Lord and serious eternal consequences for not fearing Him.
The Apostle Paul wrote to the early church in 2 Corinthians 5:11, “Therefore, knowing the fear of the Lord, we persuade men…” In the same way, I am encouraging you to fear the Lord.
God Is Love. And We Should Fear Him.
Hopefully by now you understand that fearing the Lord isn’t about living in terror of a vengeful God. It is a call to submit to Him as your King and experience His overwhelming love, favor and blessings–His promises of peace, prosperity, protection and joy–that are reserved for every citizen of His Kingdom.
“For God so loved the world, that He gave his only Son (Jesus), so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish, but have eternal life.” -John 3:16
God is love. And we should fear Him.
“Only fear the Lord and serve Him in truth with all your heart; for consider what great things He has done for you.” -1 Samuel 12:24
“Teach me Your way, O Lord; I will walk in Your truth; unite my heart to fear Your name.” -Psalms 86:11
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This Post Has 52 Comments
Excellent discussion of the fear of the Lord. Thanks!
Excellent deep-dive, Chris, just beautiful! You are such an inspiration to so many, including myself. I truly appreciate you teaching us how to be & stay healthy and cancer-free, & helping those with cancer learn how to heal! God Bless You!
I needed this study. Thank you! In today’s climate it is easy to fear man. But the answer is to totally fear God! Help me God to fear you!!
Beautiful! Thank you for the inspiration to love AND fear the Lord!
Love it! Thank you!
I really appreciate your speaking out and your article containing sooo many Scriptures.
I pray everyone would read and take it to heart.
God bless you and your family
This is a lovely message, Chris. Thank you for helping me confirm to one family member, who had posed a similar question to Kanye’s, that the fear of the Lord is not negative.
Thank you for blessing me with this beautiful article!!! Praise Jesus! He taught me to fear Him!
Beautiful!! Thank you, Chris. An excellent explanation of it all to feel closer to Jesus Christ and not live in fear.
Thank you for clarifying something for me that has been confusing ….. Love it!
Pure Truth about the Fear of the LORD. Fear, as a word in English, is very limited in its stereotypical interpretive meanings. But in the original languages of scripture it can take on very different meanings depending on the context in which it is used. Very similar to the words – Love, Salvation, Justification, and many others, which can mean very different things in scripture, depending on the context in which they are used. The Greek language has 4 words for love, whereas the English has only 1, so sometimes we are trying to think through words in an English translated bible with one hand tied behind our backs. This kind of deep digging into meanings is very helpful, and richly rewarding. Thank you very much for sharing this soul nourishing journey with us! Mike
That was beautiful. Thank you for spreading the Great news of God’s love!! Happy Easter! He is risen!!!
I love it! From nourishment for the body to nourishment for the soul. The total holistic package, Love you for it., Chris. God Bless You! Praise God!
Amen and amen.
Thank you for sharing God‘s word of wisdom for all humanity.
This is so encouraging for myself and everyone! Thank you so much for sharing it!
WOW Chris you really did you’re homework on that.. I think it’s awesome that you show how much you love the LORD and honor Him. HIS words are life and health
Thank you, Chris!
Thank you Chris. You are such an inspiration and we appreciate you so much! What a beautiful, thoughtful article.
Hi Chris, what you said about fearing our creator is oh, so true. I feel there is one component is missing, however, and that is the recognition of God’s personal name, Jehovah, which is in the original Hebrew text over 7000 times. Jesus made known Gods name when he was on earth, and he prayed that his disciples would know that name and view it as sacred. The “Lord’s prayer” recorded at Matthew 6: 9-15 helps us appreciate that fact. Also John 17:26, one of many scriptures indicating that Jesus made his father’s name known to his followers. This included not only knowing what that name is, but the wonderful personality and qualities behind that name.
Hi Jeanine, I was about to share these sentiments when I read your comment. You right on point. Yes the fear of Jehovah, which is a healthy not morbid fear, really adds wieght when you use God’s name.
Using Lord sounds inantimate. Why not use his name as he told us to. “The fear of Jehovah is the beginning of knowledge ” Pr 9:10
“Hallelujah”praise be to Jehovah
Beautiful read.. Thank you Chris Wark.
Thank you Chris for this ” lively true perspective” of the ” Fear of the Lord ”. Let’s humbly celebrate Him again this Easter Sunday! Marc 16:5-7, John 20:29, I Peter 1:8.
Thank you, Chris, for being salt and light in a world that worships the creation (our health, our food, our loved ones, the earth, etc.) in place of the Creator! Christ is the Lord above all. Your unapologetic, unwatered-down messages are so refreshing. Praying your health continues to prosper just as your soul prospers. Lord, may Chris bring more and more people to You!
Thank you, Chris‼️ Wonderful explanation & extensive coverage of the scriptures that demonstrate His wonderful promises to those of us who fear the Lord. God continue to bless you‼️
Hi Chris, Thank you for your message. I have followed you for many years, though we have not run into cancer but I have maintained excellent health, now in my mid eighties. I want to testify to the goodness of God and his love to me and my family. He has kept us all well and strong. We eat with almost no meat or smoking or alcohol. We have thrived on God’s love for humanity and our family also. Bless you all.
Your article on “fear the Lord” was OK, but it barely touched on the chief reason to fear, that is, love, honor, respect and trust the Lord above all else. Pointing to John 3:16 was good, but it would have been better to take that deeper. The whole point of the Bible, Holy Scripture, is that in the Person of God’s Son, Jesus Christ, true God and true man, we have the only Savior there is from the eternal damnation we deserve because of our sinfulness. He “is the atoning sacrifice for all our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world,” 1 John 2:2, and 2 Corinthians 5:19, “God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself, not counting their sins against them.” and many other Scripture passages bring out this sacred truth. We fear the Lord first and foremost for this reason. To fear him to get all those other blessings and promises you mentioned in so many Psalm verses and other Scriptures is not proper fear. Fearing God in the hope of getting something from him is not what God wants. Fearing him because he grants us forgiveness and eternal life for Jesus’ sake and also promises, and keeps, all those other promises you mentioned is what pleases God. What I have written here is not a criticism of your faith in God, I just want to sharpen your point about why to fear the Lord. Without Jesus we could not possibly fear God. Thank you for allowing me to post this.
This is a great reminder, Chris! Fear is also awe and amazement. Creation is awesome; people are awesome; God’s power is awesome. But as a sinful human, the most awesome and amazing thing I know is that God made a way for me to have peace with him through Christ’s sacrifice. I fear God, but I no longer have to be afraid. Jesus is risen!
Preach it brother! He is coming very soon and the world needs to hear this!
Neat article but we shall continue to learn and will do so in the earth made new, choosing Jesus and keeping His commandments, not man’s is the key.
God Bless—choose Jesus
Amen and thank you!
Wow, thanks for doing a thorough answer. I’ve often pondered this myself.
Thank you Chris, I really needed this. Blessings to you & your family.
Tank you for an excellent answer to what it means to “fear the Lord”
Betty Eichhorst
So beautifully done! Thank you for writing this piece. It’s a great reminder for sometimes we forget.
This is beautiful Chris. God bless you for reaching out to so many with your faith and teachings and helping them find their truth and educating them on their total healing
Thank you Chris for sharing. Your knowledge of the scriptures. I love reading it. May God continue to bless you and your family. Happy Easter. He is Risen.
Yes, thank you Jesus for the living sacrifice out of love to have our sins forgiven. I pray to our Father in Heaven and in my heart that you will return very soon. Thank you Lord for your Grace and your mercy for us sinners. Praise you Father God for your love for us and for sending Jesus Christ to be out guide and our Lord and savior. Thank you Chris for sharing this beautiful message for us to read . I pray you have a wonderful Easter and a wonderful Blessed life.
thanks Chris you can not go wrong quoting, believing, and obeying scripture from the one that creates and sustains life
Thank you for the knowledge and insight that you share.. I have followed you for years and have passed your name to many people dealing with cancer.
Thank you for caring enough to share information on both physical and spiritual health..
May God bless you, your family and your mission.
That was excellent, Chris, thank you so much! Blessings to you and your family and joy in the LORD!
Thank u for sharing this! So many good details to write on our hearts. God is SO good. He is our Savior and our friend.
I so-appreciate your deep dive into the meaning of the word fear, as it applies to God in the Bible. Kanye is not alone. I think this confuses most of us! The meaning does not translate accurately, as you stated, because modern use of the word is different from ancient times.
I choose to substitute the words “revere” or “reverence” for fear in these contexts, as they provide understanding for me, which is, after all, the reason I read scripture. Understanding is the first step on the road to acceptance, and to faith. Thank you, Chris.
Great response. God Bless you sir.
I was rushing to the end to see if my understanding of “fear the Lord” was the same as yours. And, it is!! Praise God! Thank you for writing such a great article!!!
Thank you for this clarification, Chris. It is always good to hear how healthy spirituality is continuing to drive you and your healing physically, spiritually, emotionally, and relationally.
Thank you for sharing your excellent insights on the “fear of the Lord”! Very well stated and backed by scripture, your words are life giving. The Lord has given us a simple command to obey him out of reverence (or fear, as you described). My husband used to say to our kids, “Just do what you’re told. It’s like a vacation.” We try to complicate things and think we can be the lord of our own lives,
which leads to ultimate disaster. God’s plan is the best one, and we will be blessed to surrender to him as our Lord.
Thank you.
Love this Chris! GOD bless you for sharing the treasure of GOD’S life changing & life giving Word, which NEVER returns void! I just finished a study on Proverbs which is filled with amazing Scriptures on fearing the LORD! I also happened across an excellent book by Jerry Bridges called The Joy of Fearing the LORD, highly recommend to all!
Thank you so much for teaching me how to fear God and not be afraid, God is Love. I have felt it in all that He has done for me through the years and feel it now.
God bless you and your family.
Thank you Chris for writing to us about fearing the Lord. I believe all the things you said but it is a good reminder of why we fear the Lord (Yahweh). Tears came to my eyes as I read again how much God loves us by dying in our place so we could be forgiven of our sins. Happy Resurrection Day.
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