The Fear of God
I vividly remember the moment I was first awe struck with reverence and fear for God. I was in my early teens. It was an ordinary day of an ordinary teenager. My siblings and I had just returned from school and as usual my mother had gathered us all together in our family living room for a devotional prayer.
As always, we rolled our eyes and nestled into our little corners, simply to please her but really dying to get it over with.
But this time, unlike any other, my mother began to speak to us about coming together and sincerely praying in unison. She passionately suggested that we come together in a tighter circle and because we did not have the heart to refuse her, we obeyed.
Her little speech really touched us, so this time we all sincerely shut our eyes and quietly prayed to ourselves. Our prayer couldn’t have lasted more than 10 minutes, but as we were wrapping up, a gush of wind, similar to a strong ocean breeze, swept by us. Where it came from, and where it was going, we didn’t know.
We all opened our eyes in amazement. My sister quickly got up and checked all the windows and doors. They were all shut.
What had occurred, we still cannot explain. But that day, we returned to our rooms in utter silence and genuine fear.
I remember thinking, “Wow, God is real!”.
Since, I see his hand as he intermittently shows up in various areas of my life, always filling me with reverent awe and wonder.
Likewise, in the Bible, I find God showing up in various ways and making himself known to ordinary people. Their experience of him, is what filled their hearts with reverence and genuine fear.
Jacob of the OT is one example. (Gen. 28)
Jacob finds himself alone in the wilderness, fleeing from his angry brother. He starts a fire to keep warm and settles down for the evening. As he drifts off to sleep, in a dream, God gives him an astounding vison of himself. Jacob wakes up in amazement and fear.
Then Jacob awoke from his sleep and said, “Surely the LORD is in this place, and I did not know it.” And he was afraid and said, “How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven!” (Gen. 28:16-17 NKJV)
Jacob’s encounter filled his heart with the utmost fear and respect towards God.
Jonah and his fellow passengers are another example.
Jonah takes a journey a ship to a far away land. God asked him to go to Nineveh, but he wasn’t in agreement and decided to flee in another direction. God causes a storm to arise and Jonah and the passengers on board were in immense danger. Jonah confessed his offense and tells his fellow passengers to throw him overboard to appease God’s wrath.
Then they took Jonah and threw him overboard, and the raging sea grew calm. At this the men greatly feared the LORD, and they offered a sacrifice to the LORD and made vows to him. (Jon. 1:15-16 NIV)
The fellow crewmen were absolutely floored by Jonah’s God. Godly fear filled their hearts and they fell down and worshipped him.
Supporting text
The person who has My commandments and keeps them is the one who [really] loves Me; and whoever [really] loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and reveal Myself to him [I will make Myself real to him].” (John 14:21 Am)
See Paul and the Damascus Road experience
See Elijah’s confrontation with the prophets of Bail
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