What is the fear of the Lord? Why should we have the fear of the Lord? Should a Christian (Born again Believer) have the fear of the Lord? Is there any benefit in fearing the Lord?

Please pray with me that our Father, in the name of Jesus would reveal the value, knowledge, and understanding of the fear of the Lord. We ask for the Holy Spirit of God to reveal to us His very nature; anointing us by opening our eyes to see, our ears to hear and our hearts to receive the treasure of knowing and understanding the fear of the Lord.

2 Tim 3:16 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, 17 so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

To stir a desire in you for the fear of the Lord let us look at a few of the benefits given to those who have the fear of the Lord.

DETERS US FROM SINNING---Ex 20:20 And Moses said unto the people, Fear not: for God is come to prove you, and that his fear may be before your faces, that ye sin not.

BLESSINGS ON US AND OUR CHILDREN---Deut 5:29 O that there were such an heart in them, that they would fear me, and keep all my commandments always, that it might be well with them, and with their children for ever!

PROLONGED DAYS---Prov 9:10 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding. 11 For by me thy days shall be multiplied, and the years of thy life shall be increased.

FRIENDSHIP WITH GOD---Ps 25:14 The secret of the Lord is with them that fear him

PROVISION FOR ALL NEEDS---Ps 34:9 O fear the Lord, ye his saints: for there is no want to them that fear him.

GOD’S STEADFAST LOVE---Ps 103:11 For as the heavens are high above the earth, so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him

GOD’S COMPASSION---Ps 103:13 Just as a father has compassion on his children, So the Lord has compassion on those who fear Him.

Isaiah 33:5 The Lord is exalted, for He dwells on high; He will fill Zion with justice and righteousness. 6 He will be the sure foundation for your times, a rich store of salvation and wisdom and knowledge; the fear of the Lord is the key to this treasure. The fear of the Lord is the key to God’s sure foundation, unlocking the treasuries of salvation, wisdom, and knowledge. Along with the love of God, it composes the very foundation of life! The fear of the Lord is not grasped by the mind but etched on our hearts. The fear of the Lord is a gift; it is an attitude of heart; it is a passion of the soul; it is the signature of our relationship with Him. The fear of the Lord is revealed by the Holy Spirit as He manifest Himself in our lives. He is the Spirit of the fear of the Lord as stated in Isaiah 11:2 The Spirit of the Lord will rest on him---the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the Spirit of counsel and of power, the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord---

God’s word defines the fear of the Lord for us in Proverbs 8:13 says, "The fear of the Lord is hatred of evil"; that means having God’s attitude toward sin at all times. The more we study the holiness of God from His word, the more we will understand the extent of His hatred of sin. God our Father has no tolerance toward sin; therefore, He will not compromise with sin. Sin is abhorrent to His very nature. The One Who created us and longs for us to be fulfilled through intimate friendship with Himself says. "You shall be holy; for I the Lord your God am holy" (Leviticus 19:2).

How does God our Father get the sin out of our lives? When God the Father wants to remove the sin from the believer's life He brings His discipline. When we are fruitless in an area God the Father wants fruit He brings discipline into a believer's life. Hebrews 12:4 You have not yet resisted to bloodshed, striving against sin. 5 And you have forgotten the exhortation which speaks to you as to sons: "My son, do not despise the chastening of the Lord, Nor be discouraged when you are rebuked by Him; 6 For whom the Lord loves He chastens, And scourges every son whom He receives." 7 If you endure chastening, God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom a father does not chasten? 8 But if you are without chastening, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate and not sons. 9 Furthermore, we have had human fathers who corrected us, and we paid them respect. Shall we not much more readily be in subjection to the Father of spirits and live? 10 For they indeed for a few days chastened us as seemed best to them, but He for our profit, that we may be partakers of His holiness. 11 Now no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.

Why fear the Lord? Because God’s discipline is perfect. The first step in God’s discipline to remove sin from the believer is a rebuke. He sends a verbal warning through His word, a sermon, a prophet, an authority, or the Spirit of God speaking to our conscience. If we will not listen (repent) God our Father brings chastisement to the believer. Chastisement comes in the form of emotional distress or anxiety. Finally, God our Father scourges every son. Scourging is physical discomfort through circumstances in the believer's life. Understand discipline is not judgment and He never disciplines in anger. Our Father has a desire for everyone of His children to produce much fruit. The process to get us producing fruit by removing sin from our lives is His discipline. God is always good, His discipline is good, restorative in nature, and always just. The beginning of wisdom is the fear of the Lord. Let us get wisdom by fearing the Lord to keep us from evil. Turning from evil toward God removes His discipline from our lives.

Some might read this article and rightly confess that their sins were forgiven at salvation. How wonderful the gift of salvation of having our sins forgiven. Eph 2:8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast. 10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. Which I agree with completely but I have never found a believer who stopped sinning after they got saved but God being our perfect Father is always active in the life of His children to get the sin out of their lives. With the knowledge that our Father has not been sitting by letting His children get away with any sin but invoking His immediate discipline let the fear of God keep us from sinning longer. Let us as His children turn from our wicked way and return to the lover of our soul seeking ways to please God our Father.

Let me close with the words of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ: Luke 12:3 Therefore whatever you have spoken in the dark will be heard in the light, and what you have spoken in the ear in inner rooms will be proclaimed on the housetops. 4 "And I say to you, My friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do. 5 But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear Him who, after He has killed, has power to cast into hell; yes, I say to you, fear Him!

Hebrews 10:31 It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

America is in a time of spiritual crisis and we believer's are God’s answer to this crisis! Texas as a prophetic State is being called to lead in a prayer revival that will impact the entire Nation. Blanco is experiencing extreme drought conditions. Believers across the Nation are coming together to "Cry Out to the Lord". Joel 1:14 Consecrate a fast Call a sacred assembly Gather the elders And all the inhabitants of the land Into the house of the LORD your God And cry out to the Lord. Join the movement across America as we gather at our County Courthouse on Friday September 11, 2009 at 12:00 Noon and for those who cannot be there at that time let us meet on Thursday September 10th at 7:00pm.

Ecclesiastes 12:13 confirms the importance of the fear of the Lord: "All has been heard; the end of the matter is: Fear God [revere and worship Him, knowing that He is] and keep His commandments, for this is the whole of man [the full, original purpose of his creation, the object of God's providence, the root of character, the foundation of all happiness, the adjustment to all inharmonious circumstances and conditions under the sun] and the whole [duty] for every man."

The fear of the Lord will cause you to keep God's Word. It will form the root of your character. It will also be the foundation for your happiness, as the expanded version of Ecclesiastes 12:13 above shows.

Additionally, the fear of the Lord will bring a divine adjustment to every inharmonious circumstance you could ever encounter. It will bring peace where there is chaos, joy where there is depression, and blessing and provision where there is lack. The fear of the Lord will bring a holy alignment into every area of your life. Anything that is out of order that could bring pain and discomfort will be put back into right order. The root of the fear of the Lord will produce the abundant fruit of the Holy Spirit in your life.

In this hour in which many are filled with fear and uncertainty, you can rejoice and rest in peace as you embrace the fear of the Lord and allow His provision, righteousness, truth and joy to fill your life.