The Fear of God

Bible Reading: Hebrews 12:22-29

“Look, Dad,” said Nora as she and her father walked along the beach. “That man over there has a sign on a stick. It says, ‘Fear God.’” She frowned. “You

always say God is our Father. Aren’t we supposed to love and trust Him?”

“Yep,’’ Dad said, “just like you love and trust me— only more.” He smiled and squeezed her arm.

“Then we aren’t supposed to fear God like that sign says, are we?” asked Nora. “I’m not afraid of you, so why should I be afraid of God?”

“Well…” Dad looked toward the ocean. There was a strong wind, and the waves crashed hard on the beach. “Would you go swimming in the ocean today?” he asked.

Nora shook her head. “No way!”

“But why not? You’re one of the best swimmers on your school team. How can you be afraid of water?”

“I’m not afraid of water,” replied Nora, “but I’m smart enough to know the waves today are stronger than I am. I don’t want to mess with them.”

“So, in a way, you do fear the waves, but your fear is really respect. You respect the power of the waves to crash and smash and actually cause harm to you if you get in their way,” said Dad. “That kind of fear brings wisdom, so you won’t go in the water, right?”

Nora nodded thoughtfully. “I guess that’s a good way to explain it.”

“It’s a good way to explain the fear of God too,” Dad told her. “He doesn’t want us to be afraid and hide from Him—He sent Jesus to die for us so we could have a relationship with Him and be His children. But He wants us to understand how powerful He is and to respect Him and His right to do whatever is best, even when it involves punishing sin or disciplining us to help us mature.”

Nora looked out at the ocean waves again. “I think I get it.”

“Good.” Dad started walking faster. “Now, since we can’t go swimming, I’ll race you to the ice cream stand!” • Heather M. Tekavec

How About You?

Do you fear God? Does His awesome power amaze you? If you know and love Jesus, fearing God isn’t a scary thing. It’s an incredible feeling when you realize all that power belongs to the One who loves you and will always do what is best for you. God’s children don’t need to be afraid of Him. Fearing God means respecting His authority and trusting Him to care for you.

Today’s Key Verse:
Proverbs 9:10 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. (NKJV)

Today’s Key Thought:

Respect God and His power