Benefits of the
Fear of the Lord
Matt Sorger, for Prophetic Insight of Charisma Magazine, March 17, 2009
I believe that one of the characteristics that will mark a fresh outpouring of God's Spirit is a revival of the fear of the Lord. Having a genuine fear of the Lord is vital if you desire to live a successful and vibrant Christian life. It doesn't rob you of your joy. In fact, it causes you to live your life to its fullest potential in God and releases supernatural joy, peace and prosperity! Living a life filled with a healthy and holy fear of God has many benefits.
The true fear of the Lord is to hate evil. It is to love everything God loves and to hate everything He hates. This standard plumb line of righteousness and truth will keep you strong when you are tempted to veer from what is right. It will cause you to overcome in life and fulfill everything God has for you to be and do. As you allow the Holy Spirit to do His deep work in your life, you will experience every blessing that comes with embracing the fear of the Lord.
Psalm 34:9-15 exhorts us: "O fear the Lord, you His saints [revere and worship Him]! For there is no want to those who truly revere and worship Him with godly fear. The young lions lack food and suffer hunger, but they who seek [inquire of and require] the Lord [by right of their need and on the authority of His Word], none of them shall lack any beneficial thing.
"Come, you children, listen to me; I will teach you to revere and worshipfully fear the Lord.
"What man is he who desires life and longs for many days, that he may see good? Keep your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking deceit. Depart from evil and do good; seek, inquire for, and crave peace and pursue [go after] it! The eyes of the Lord are toward the [uncompromisingly] righteous and His ears are open to their cry" (Psalm 34:12-15,The Amplified Bible).
What a promise! This passage assures us that during a time of economic uncertainty and financial strain, we can experience God's provision and blessing and not lack any beneficial thing. Those who fear the Lord and depart from evil will live long, healthy, good lives. They will be filled with peace and will never lack or suffer hunger. The fear of the Lord releases supernatural provision and blessing during times of want.
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.
