Psalm 34

#Fear

Psalm 34:11 “Come, my children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the Lord.”   

The Church has done a good job of sharing about Jesus, but not as well on teaching about the fear of the Lord.  A recent Barna survey found that 86% of youth had a negative perception of Christians.  The top two reasons given in the survey are: (1) Christians are judgmental and (2) Christians are hypocritical.  These two areas were major teaching points of

Jesus yet are two of the biggest stumbling blocks for people coming to Jesus.  

In the Psalm above, the writer (David) is encouraging you to allow him to teach you the fear of the Lord.  Let’s think about how Jesus would teach you the fear of the Lord?  I believe Jesus would do it by spending time with you.  Jesus began His ministry with hundreds, if not thousands of followers, but whittled them down to 77, then 12, and finally 3 which reflected the increased intensity of teaching, fellowship, and relationship with His disciples. 

Jesus knew that a changed life comes from a healthy fear of God, and a healthy fear of God comes out of the intensity of His relationship with His disciples.  The same is true for followers of Christ today.  Fear of God is reverence, respect, and faith that God is God and He “Is”, “Was”, and “Will Always” be God!  Your fear of God will come out of the intensity of your relationship with Him on a daily basis.  If Jesus were to say to me, “Come, my child, listen to Me; I will teach you the fear of the Lord,” I would envision myself sitting at His feet listening to His words and stories.  Reading His Word, talking to Him, receiving His Word into your life and allowing it to galvanize your life will cultivate intimacy with God.  

A life that is touched by God is a life that fears God.  A life that fears God is a life that is experiencing God’s love and grace while growing in appreciation of who He is.  As you read the following Scriptures, pray for God to open your heart to new levels of intimacy with Him.

Imitate Jesus - Mark 1:35 “Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where He prayed.”   

Priority - Job 23:12 “I have not departed from the commands of His lips; I have treasured the words of His mouth more than my daily bread.”  

Hunger for God - Psalm 42:1-2 “As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for You, O God.  My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. 

When can I go and meet with God?”  

Refreshed by God - Psalm 90:14 “Satisfy us in the morning with Your unfailing love, that we may sing for joy and be glad all our days.”  

Instructed by God - Isaiah 50:4-5 “The Sovereign Lord has given me an instructed tongue, to know the word that sustains the weary.  He wakens me morning by morning, wakens my ear to listen like one being taught.  The Sovereign Lord has opened my ears, and I have not been rebellious; I have not drawn back.”