“4 You are resplendent and majestic
coming down from the mountains of prey.
5 The brave- hearted have been plundered;
they have slipped into their final sleep.
None of the warriors was able to lift a hand.

6 At Your rebuke, God of Jacob,
both chariot and horse lay still.
7 And You — You are to be feared.
When You are angry,
who can stand before You?

8 From heaven You pronounced judgment.
The earth feared and grew quiet
9 when God rose up to judge
and to save all the lowly of the earth. Selah”
Psalm 76:4-9
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What does it mean to say someone has authority over you, if you don’t live as if that authority exists?
What does it mean to say you are subject to a sovereign, if your life does not reflect the respect that a sovereign deserves?
Why is it that so many people claim to follow Jesus, to worship YHWH Elohim, to be ‘full of the Holy Spirit’ if their life never reflects, or only ‘sort of’ reflects, a nod to that following, worship & fullness?

To fear God is to admire, respect & hold in awe. It is also to acknowledge His sovereignty, and live under it in a way that reflects that acknowledgement. To fear the Lord is to reverence Him above all else & to know that your existence is maintained simply by His will. To fear the Lord is to look at His awesome power, to gaze upon the beauty of His righteousness and the glory of His majesty and recognize the abject lowliness that sin has created in you. The fear of the Lord should involve trembling, humility and a repentant heart.

For the Christian, this fear is tempered by a wonderful comfort, “Fear not.” So many times, God has told His people, His faithful ones, to “Fear Not.” What a beautiful relase! To be free from fear of judgment and eternal separation & damnation!

But we have not been freed from trembling, freed from awe, freed from reverence, freed from respecting Him. By no means! His sovereignty is no less. His rule has not diminshed. His power has not lessened. He is still Lord over all, King of Creation & the Maker of the universe! His majesty and glory have not dimmed as His grace has been extended to humanity through Christ’s sacrifice. Jesus, the Word of God made flesh, humbled Himself when He took on our flesh, but He has been exalted, placed at the right hand of God the Father. And even in His humbling, He still instilled terror in the hearts of His disciples when He calmed the storm & sea. A humble Christ is still glorious, powerful & Lord over all. He cannot be diminished in that way.

As we GoLove people in the Name of Almighty God, through the power of the Holy Spirit & tell them about what Jesus Christ has done, we must exhibit the fear of the Lord that is the beginning of wisdom. We must humbly serve as we have been called. It’s never about us, not for a moment, but for Him and His glory.