Joy in this Journey By: FaithLine

The Truth Behind Godly Fear

• Jessica Berrios • Season 1 • Episode 6

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Discover the transformative power hidden within Proverbs 19:23 as we explore the true essence of 'fear of the Lord'. Far from being a call to terror, this episode unravels the notion of divine fear as a profound respect and reverence for God, aligning with the soul-stirring truths of 1 John 4:18 and 2 Timothy 1:7. Through these scriptures, we find a promise of love that casts out all fear and a spirit endowed with power, love, and sound judgment. It's a journey into understanding the delicate balance between awe and intimacy with our Creator, and we invite you to redefine what it means to truly fear the Lord in a way that invites wisdom and contentment into your life.

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Speaker 1:

Welcome to Joy in this Journey podcast by Faithline. Join us as we bring you weekly episodes on Bible devotionals to empower you to live in faith. By faith, through God's grace, Find joy in your journey today.

Speaker 2:

Hello and God bless you all. Welcome to another podcast episode from Join this Journey by Faithline. Today we will be reading in the book of Proverbs, chapter 19, verse 23. In the New King James Version. We'll be reading and we read in the name of the Father, son and Holy Spirit, amen.

Speaker 2:

The fear of the Lord leads to life and he who has it will abide in satisfaction. He will not be visited with evil. The fear of the Lord. We come across this phrase over and over again in the book of Proverbs and throughout scripture, and we see two types of people those who fear the Lord and the foolish ones who do not. But what is fear of the Lord? What is it to fear the Lord?

Speaker 2:

And I want to make it clear that it is not to be afraid of God. It's not pushing fear or fear to make you feel that you're being punished. You know for something. We know that God deals with situations in his way and in different ways, and the fear of the Lord that we're speaking of here is the fear of reverence. Is the fear of reverence?

Speaker 2:

In the book of 1 John 4, verse 18, it says there is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love, for god has not given us a spirit of fear second of timothy, chapter 1, verse 7 but of power and of love and of a sound mind. So this fear that we're speaking of is not associated with terror. It's not a fear where it makes you run from God or hide from him or act like he is about to finish with your life. No, it's a fear of reverence. To fear the Lord is a fear of a loving child, of respect that he has for one's father, one's mother or parents, and it's a reverence where you are able to come to the Lord and be who you are. It's not a fear where it makes you feel that he is not even accessible to you, because you know we're all being honest, which I hope we're all are. I'm here always to be honest with everyone that's listening.

Speaker 2:

We not one of us deserves even to get even, I guess, a foot or or have a foot from God, but in his, his love and mercy, he has opened the way through his sacrifice and has given us the opportunity to come close to him and know who he is, and so God's desire is for us to know him. And if we're dealing with a fear where we're afraid, how can we know such a wonderful creator? And I've realized that there is a fear where we're afraid. How can we know such a wonderful creator? And I've realized that there is a fear that the enemy uses to keep us away from such a good God. God is a good God, god is a friend, god is a father, god is everything that we need, and the enemy likes to come with his lies to push us away so that we don't have access to him, that we don't hear him or communicate with him. Because when we have that communication, that connection with God, it changes us. It gives us a good fear, a fear where there is reverence, to know he is a God that is above everything, above you, your situation and everything that you go through. It opens your eyes to know that there is a way through everything and at the very end, there is always a victory that is standing for you. So the fear of the Lord is a fear of reverence where you, as a loving child, can come to know your loving father, your god, and know who he is and what he is able to do, because god is able to do everything. He is the god of the impossible. And if you have a bad fear there's fear that that prohibits you to get to know god then how can you know the god of the impossible? And that's where the enemy comes in, to try to push you away. So you don't know who God is.

Speaker 2:

In Psalms 111, verse 10, it says the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. A good understanding have all those who do his commandments. His praise endures forever. Those who do his commandments. His praise endures forever. When we realize who God is and his attitude towards all people, then the phrase fear of the Lord means different to us. It's no longer a fear of being afraid, it's a fear of knowing and respecting who God is. And that then develops a desire in us to seek and learn.

Speaker 2:

Psalms 34, verse 11, says come, my children, listen to me, I will teach you the fear of the Lord. God is there to show you what this is all about. It is not for you to stop and says where God wants me to be afraid? No, he wants you to come. He has opened the way through his sacrifice, like I said before, so that way you can have access to an almighty God. Who are we to have access to him?

Speaker 2:

And yet such a loving father, a loving God, has opened the way so we can know who he is, and his desire is for us to know him. So why don't we open ourselves to him to have a desire to know who our loving creator is. He has a desire for us to know him and he invites us. Come, my children, listen to me. I will teach you the fear of the Lord. I will teach you what this really means. I will teach you what it is to reverence. I will teach you and when we're open for his teachings, our life changes, our heart changes, our mind changes. There has to be a transformation.

Speaker 2:

When we open to him, it is impossible for you to say and know that, oh yeah, I'm open, but nothing happens. No, that means you're not completely open, because when we do open to his ways, we become different people, our understanding changes and a lot of us needs that because he is a loving father. We need to see that he is a loving father, a loving father that wants us to know him. If here on earth, we get so excited and want to share our, our achievements with our parents and family and friends, and if we have accomplished a goal you know, or received an award, anything that you know we've achieved, we want to share it. We want everyone to know. We're proud of it, we want people to be proud of us, then why don't we have that same feeling to develop that relationship with our loving father in heaven?

Speaker 2:

What the enemy wants to keep us at is where he is god and we're just people and it's impossible for us to ever come into a connection, and that is not true. God wants you to know who he is, but in the sense of where you know who he is and respect who he is. So if he is my father, my loving father, he is god, the creator. He is the one that breathed life into me. My lungs work every single day because of his word then I have to honor that and not just act like, okay, yeah, he's god, he's, you know. We can, as people say, chill and whatever you know and go on like he's just a regular person. No, god is God, he. We got to give him his position, respect his position and know that, even though he is higher, he has given us the honor to get close to him and know who he is. We have to love him in our way of life, in our way of speaking, in our way of actions. And that's where the fear of the Lord comes in that when you honestly recognize who God is and respect him and reverence him, everything about you changes the way you speak.

Speaker 2:

In Psalms 19, verse 9, it says May these words of my mouth and this meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, lord, my rock and my redeemer. We get into this understanding that you know. Yes, he is a God, you know, and he can finish with us in a second, but yet he is my Lord, he is my rock, he is my redeemer. I have that relationship with him because I've come to an understanding that he is such a powerful God and he is to be honored every single day, honored in my way of living and speaking and how I deal with things. And so everything about me changes. I no longer want to fail him, I no longer want to sin, I no longer want worldly things because I want to please my heavenly father.

Speaker 2:

And so when we come into that understanding of the fear of the Lord and reverence and respect, then we want to honor our father and I want to honor him, how, in my way of living and acting and treating others, that I can bring forth testimony that I can receive and feel the joy and and the satisfaction of his, his presence, in my life, because I no longer want the worldly thing which is which, which is what it is. Worldly things that is will perish, everything shall pass, but the things of the Lord, the word of the Lord, shall not pass. It is firm, it's everlasting, and that's where God wants to bring us to understand that he is our God and he is there for us. We do not have to fear him. We don't have to fear knowing him, we don't have to fear even trying to get close to him.

Speaker 2:

But if we are, let's do it in reverence and respect, giving him what he deserves, because he deserves it. If we give it to our bosses and and hire people in in this world to have, you know, titles and we give them the respect that they say silence, you know we become quiet. You know, and when we were in school, teachers were like you know, silence, be quiet, it's time to quiet, and nobody would even dare open their mouths. You know we become quiet, you know, and when we were in school, teachers were like you know, silence, be quiet, it's time to quiet, and nobody would even dare open their mouths, you know. But if we give people, earthly people, that respect and reverence, then how much more our God, that's the creator of heaven and earth and our souls and our everything. He deserves it and he just wants us to come to that understanding where, yes's there for us, but also he deserves the respect, and not just because he's God and that's where it stays, but knowing that he is God, and I should manifest knowing that he is God through my life.

Speaker 2:

So fear the Lord and know that he is there for you, know that he is a holy God and has given us the privilege to know and be in his holiness.

Speaker 2:

Let's pray, father, god, we come before you in Jesus' name and I ask you, through your Holy Spirit, to help us live with the revelation, knowledge that we may grow in patience and do what is right.

Speaker 2:

Please help us to love wisdom and to learn all that we can in you so that our life will flourish and prosper. Please help us to be quick to forgive as we walk in the revelation of knowledge, give as we walk in the revelation of knowledge and please help us, lord, to walk in virtue. May we honor you always, god. May we honor your holy name and may we honor your holy instructions, which is the word of God, the Bible. Help us honor it, god, live it such that life will go well for us. We ask, in Jesus name and thanking you always for your love and mercy, amen. I pray that this word has been a blessing to your life and never forget to fear the Lord, to reverence him to Him and to show who he is in your life and through your life to others, to know the great and wonderful Creator, our Lord and Savior, jesus Christ. May you be blessed and until next time. This is your host, jj. God bless you.

Speaker 1:

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