The fear of the Lord does not need to do with fear or trepidation, but rather refers to suitable amazement and reverence for who God is. It’s a quality that we as Christians should seek and nurture. Though we do not hear the expression frequently enough today, it may still be a great compliment to be known as a God-fearing woman or man. To fear God produces all demeanors of fruit in the Christian’s life. It leads to our hating evil as God does, and the Bible also tells us the fear of the Lord is the start of knowledge (Psalm 111:10 ).

The more we obtain divine understanding, the larger will be our love for the Bible and God’s commandments. As well as all these assets, we find that the person that learns to fear God will have a powerful family (v. 2), with children who grow to be bold for the truth. God-fearing folks also find that “light arises in the darkness for the upright” (v. 4).

This doesn’t suggest that we won’t ever have dark times or times of trouble in the valley – we’ll have trials, headaches, and tears like the remainder of humankind. But in our problems, we are guaranteed the light that comes from God’s angels of deliverance. These protecting messengers encamp around those who fear the Lord. They surround followers above and underneath so that nothing can get at you without divine authorization. Ask God to help have a correct, reverential fear of Him. It’s a request He’s going to be thrilled to receive.