BLESSED ARE THOSE WHO FEAR THE LORD

When God says that you are blessed, it equally means that you fear the Lord. You can't really be the 'blessed' without the fear of God. To fear God is to hold Him in awe and wonder. Some translations of the Bible sometimes interchanged this particular "fear" with "reverence". If you fear God, you can't afford to ignore, rebel or disregard Him in your ways. A life led in the fear of God guarantees true blessing and assures great benefits.

Reference: Psalm 128:1 English Standard Version (ESV) 'Blessed is everyone who fears the LORD, who walks in his ways.'

To fear the Lord and to walk in His ways are the magnificent combination for being blessed. They blend together. To walk in His ways is to live by His Word, because His ways are revealed in His Word. The Bible says in Psalm 25:14 (NASB) that, "The secret of the LORD is for those who fear Him, And He will make them know His covenant." This implies that the Lord has a close bond of friendship with those who fear Him, and He shares His secret with them. This fear doesn't mean being afraid of God, because we know that God is our loving Father. So its not a terrifying fear, but rather a ceaseless earnest adoration to God, with dignified honour, worship and joyful confidence.

In many passages of the Scripture, Biblical authors pointed to the fear of God as the prerequisite to being blessed and walking in friendship with Him. Abraham feared and reverenced God so much that he was called a friend of God. This fear triggered his acts of obedience and faith. James 2:23 (NLT) says, 'And so it happened just as the Scriptures say: "Abraham believed God, and God counted him as righteous because of his faith." He was even called the friend of God.' It is a great privilege to be called a friend of God, but its only those who fear Him that can be rightfully called His friends.

Proverbs 9:10 (NLT) reads, 'Fear of the LORD is the foundation of wisdom.' In Proverbs 15:33 (NASB), it is described as the "discipline" or "instruction" for wisdom. It is the net asset for those who value the Lord's wisdom. Without the fear of God, you can't access divine wisdom. I remember the parable of a Judge in Luke 18:1-8, where Jesus described a man as the unjust judge who "...neither feared God nor cared for man." Jesus was not talking about the judge being afraid of God. He was talking about His attitude towards God. He disregarded, opposed and defied God.

The only fear worth having is the fear of the Lord and it is a Spirit. The fear of the Lord, which is one of the seven Spirits of God, as noted in Isaiah 11:2 (NIV), is the gift of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit of fear of the Lord causes us to delight in the fear of the Lord. If you function with this fear, you'll delight in the law of the Lord and meditate on it often (see Psalm 1:1-3). As you meditate on and do the Word, you won't just get blessed, you will be blessed in whatever you do.'

Scripture Reading - Psalm 111:10; Proverbs 14:27; Psalm 115:13; Ecclesiastes 8:12; Luke 1:50.

Exuberant declaration: The fear of the Lord is my treasure, my wealth of salvation, wisdom and knowledge. I function daily with a sovereign respect for God and it ensures the stability of my blessings. Therefore, I testify that I'm forever blessed, special and loyal to God and I walk with the consciousness of this testimony always. By the power of the Holy Spirit, I take my place in my world and fulfil my purpose in Christ as a God-fearing person. Praise God!