The Fear of the Lord: Reverent Trust That Shapes the Christian Life

Show: Anchored in the Word (Servants of Grace Podcast)
Host: Dave Jenkins

Show Summary

What does it mean to fear the Lord and why does it matter for everyday Christian living? In this episode of Anchored in the Word, Dave Jenkins explains that the fear of God is not terror that drives us away, but reverent trust that draws us near. The fear of the Lord produces wisdom, deepens worship, drives out lesser fears, and shapes how we read Scripture, pray, fight sin, endure trials, and live with confidence in God’s unshakable kingdom.

Audio Player

Video Player

Episode Notes

Key Scriptures

• Psalm 111:10
• Proverbs 1:7
• Hebrews 12:28–29
• Acts 9:31
• Matthew 10:28–31

Big Idea

The fear of the Lord is trusting reverence a weighty, joyful awareness of God’s holiness that leads to wisdom, worship, obedience, and freedom from the fear of man.

Full Article

What Does It Mean to Fear the Lord?

Few phrases appear as often in Scripture and are misunderstood as often as “the fear of the Lord.” Some hear that phrase and imagine dread, anxiety, or the kind of terror that makes a person run and hide. But that is not how the Bible teaches God’s people to understand this fear.

Psalm 111:10 says, “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom.” Proverbs 1:7 adds, “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction.” Isaiah calls the fear of the Lord a treasure for God’s people (Isa. 33:6). And the book of Acts describes the early church as walking “in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit” (Acts 9:31). The fear of the Lord is not presented as a passing theme, but as a foundational mark of faithful living.

The Fear of the Lord Is Not Terror, but Trusting Reverence

When Scripture calls believers to fear God, it is not calling us to the kind of fear that makes us run away from Him. It is the kind of fear that draws us near—because it recognizes who God is. He is holy. He is righteous. He is sovereign. He is mighty. And He is worthy of obedience, honor, and worship. In other words, the fear of the Lord is a trembling that loves God—not a terror that hides from Him.

Think of Isaiah in Isaiah 6. He sees the glory of the Lord, trembles, and confesses his sin. Yet God cleanses him and sends him on mission. Or consider Peter in Luke 5. When Jesus fills the nets with fish, Peter falls down and says, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man.” Yet Jesus does not cast him away He draws him near and says, “Do not be afraid.” True fear of God humbles us, exposes our sin, and then drives us to the grace and mercy of God.

The Fear of the Lord Produces Wisdom

Proverbs tells us plainly that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. Why? Because fearing God rightly does at least three vital things.

• It puts God in His proper place as holy and authoritative. Since God is God, His Word is true, His commands are good, and His ways lead to life.
• It puts us in our proper place as dependent and needy. We are not wise on our own. We are not strong on our own. We are not righteous on our own. But God is all these things, and He supplies what we lack.
• It reorients how we see the world. Life stops being about self-rule and becomes about God’s rule. Life stops being about our wisdom and becomes about God’s wisdom.

Wisdom begins when we bow before a sovereign God as revealed in His Word. Foolishness begins when we refuse to bow to Him.

The Fear of the Lord Drives Out Lesser Fears

One of the great paradoxes of Scripture is this: when you fear the Lord, you fear nothing else. And when you do not fear the Lord, you fear everything else. The fear of the Lord frees us from the fear of man, the fear of the future, the fear of suffering, and the fear of death. Why? Because the God you fear is the God who saves you, keeps you, and holds you.

Jesus says in Matthew 10: “Do not fear those who kill the body… rather fear Him who can destroy both soul and body in hell.” And then He immediately comforts His people by reminding them they are of more value than many sparrows. The fear of the Lord produces both sobriety and security—because God is holy, and God is also faithful.

The Fear of the Lord Fuels Worship and Joyful Obedience

The fear of the Lord is not cold, dry, or distant. It produces worship. It produces delight. It produces obedience rooted in love. Hebrews 12:28–29 calls believers to offer acceptable worship “with reverence and awe,” because our God is a consuming fire. God’s holiness is weighty. His glory is real. His presence is not casual. A casual view of God leads to casual obedience. A weighty and biblical view of God leads to joyful obedience. This is why Acts 9:31 says the early church walked in the fear of the Lord and the comfort of the Holy Spirit not fear or comfort, but fear and comfort together. The fear of the Lord and the comfort of God are not enemies; they belong together in the Christian life.

How the Fear of the Lord Shapes Everyday Christian Living

What does the fear of the Lord look like on Monday morning?

• It shapes how you read the Word of God—you come recognizing it is God’s authoritative voice.
• It shapes how you pray—boldly, yet humbly; confidently, yet reverently.
• It shapes how you fight sin—you take sin seriously because God takes sin seriously.
• It shapes how you love others—you aim to honor God in relationships, home, and church.
• It shapes how you endure trials—you rest in God’s sovereignty, wisdom, and goodness even when life is painful.

Walking in the fear of the Lord aligns your whole life under God’s authority and God’s grace as revealed in His Word not as a burden, but as a blessing.

Final Encouragement

Psalm 112:1 says, “Blessed is the man who fears the LORD, who greatly delights in His commandments.” The fear of the Lord is to delight in Him. To bow before Him is to find life in Him. To reverence Him is to rest in Him. May God help each of us to walk in the fear of the Lord with reverence, with joy, with trust, and with confidence in His unshakable kingdom.

Episode Highlights

• The fear of the Lord is not terror—it is reverent trust that draws us near to God.
• The fear of the Lord produces wisdom by putting God in His rightful place and us in ours.
• The fear of the Lord drives out lesser fears—especially the fear of man, the future, and suffering.
• The fear of the Lord fuels worship marked by reverence and awe, because our God is holy.
• The fear of the Lord shapes daily life: Bible intake, prayer, holiness, relationships, endurance, and joy.

Takeaways

• Ask the Lord to give you a weighty view of His holiness and a warm confidence in His grace.
• Identify where the fear of man is controlling you—and replace it with reverent trust in God.
• Approach Scripture and prayer with humility, confidence, and reverence.
• Let the fear of the Lord produce joyful obedience rather than casual Christianity.

Call to Action

If this episode encouraged you, please consider:

• Subscribe to the Servants of Grace Podcast for more biblical teaching.
• Share this episode with a friend or your church small group.
• Thank you for listening. May the Lord help us walk in the fear of the Lord with reverence, joy, trust, and confidence in His unshakable kingdom.

For more from Anchored in the Word with Dave please visit our page at Servants of Grace or at our YouTube.