“Come, ye children, hearken unto me: I will teach you the fear of the LORD.”
(Psalm 34:11)
The fear of the Lord is a holy, joyful reverence of God born out of a knowledge of who He truly is. Scripture tells us that proper godly fear is the foundation of wisdom (Prov. 9:10), the beginning of knowledge (Prov. 1:7), and the appropriate posture of a soul that recognizes His greatness. To fear God rightly is to understand both His mercy and His majesty, both His justice and His love, both His nearness and His holy otherness.
Just as it is with an obedient son who fears displeasing the father who loves him, disciplines him, and guides him in wisdom, so with the believer who has learned to walk in the fear of the Lord. He is drawn to God, delights in His name, seeks His will, and treasures His presence. “Because it is that Spirit of grace that is the author, animater and maintainer of our filial fear or of that fear that is son-like, and that subjects the elect unto God, his Word, and Ways; unto him, his Word and Ways as a Father.”[1]
Psalm 34:11 calls the children of God to listen and learn the fear of the Lord as taught through the Scriptures, through God’s dealings with us in providence, through the Spirit’s conviction, and through the fellowship of the saints. What we are to learn is both humbling and exalting: that God is God, and we are not. That He is holy, and we are to walk before Him in holiness.
Fear and worship are inseparable. To fear God is to adore Him rightly, to tremble before His Word, to honor His commands, and to reverence His majesty. “Worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness: fear before him, all the earth” (Psalm 96:9). And those who fear the Lord not only tremble before His power—they also rejoice in His goodness. “There is forgiveness with thee, that thou mayest be feared” (Psalm 130:4).
The fear of the Lord also guards against sin. It teaches us to turn from evil, to be circumspect, to walk wisely and soberly in this world. “By the fear of the LORD men depart from evil” (Prov. 16:6). William Price rightly observed that “the fear of God and the discarding of sin must go together.” The one who fears God most fears sin most—not because of punishment alone, but because it grieves the One whom he loves.
Nature itself teaches us to fear the Creator… in the sound of thunder and lightning, the shaking of an earthquake, the intimidating waves of the seas, and the mighty force of the winds. But Scripture teaches a deeper fear: a fear that is also rooted in God’s mercy. “They shall fear the LORD and his goodness” (Hosea 3:5). This is the highest form of godly fear—one that is not driven by terror but stirred by reverent love.
Let us seek to learn the fear of the Lord such that it shapes our worship, informs our prayers, deepens our obedience, and sweetens our walk with Christ.
Contemplation:
- Fear that Draws, Not Drives. Lord, teach me to fear You not as a slave fears a tyrant but as a son fears a good Father. Let this fear fill me with a longing to please You, to walk uprightly, and to cherish Your correction as a gift from Your hand.
- Godly Fear Over Fleshly Fear. I confess, Lord, that I often fear men more than You. I worry about what others think or what they may do, while forgetting that You alone hold my soul in Your hand. Teach me to fear You rightly—that I may not be controlled and misled by the fears of this world. “The fear of man bringeth a snare,” but the fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever.”
- Fear that Guards My Heart. Sin creeps in when I grow careless or proud. But godly fear keeps watch at the door of my heart. Teach me, Lord, to walk in that fear that keeps me from wandering, that alerts me to danger, and that leads me to hate every false way. Let my fear of You be evident in the holiness of my life.
- A Constant Fear. Lord, I want a proper godly fear to continually guide and define me. “That ye might fear the LORD your God forever,” Your Word says. Not just on Sundays. Not only when I’m afraid. Not merely when things go wrong. But always. Teach me this constancy. Let me walk before You with a steady heart, shaped and guarded by a holy fear.
Prayer (Supplication):
O Lord my God, I come before You in humility, for You are great and greatly to be feared. You are clothed in majesty, infinite in power, glorious in holiness, and perfect in wisdom. The earth trembles at Your voice. The heavens declare Your glory. The nations are as a drop in the bucket before You. And yet You stoop to teach the hearts of Your children.
Lord, teach me to fear You rightly for I want to stand in awe of You at all times. Let the knowledge of who You are fill my heart with reverence. Let me not approach You casually, nor speak of You carelessly. Let my soul be shaped by a holy regard for Your majesty, Your justice, and Your truth.
Grant me a fear that delights in Your Word, that longs to obey You, that grieves when I sin, and that finds joy in Your presence. Let my fear of You be sincere and constant. Let it make me wise. Let it keep me humble before You and faithful to You.
I ask, Lord, that You would remove every false fear from my heart—the fear of man, the fear of loss, the fear of shame and of suffering. Let all these be cast down by a greater fear—the fear of displeasing You. Let my godly fear govern my decisions, guard my mind, and guide my steps.
Let me not forget that You are the God who is to be feared as well as loved. Let my fear of You be joined to trust and my trembling to worship. And let me remember always that this fear is not a hindrance to intimacy with You—but the very gateway to it.
O Lord, I am Your child. I want to walk before You with a heart that fears You rightly and loves You deeply. So teach me. Correct me. Refine me. Make me to know the fear of the Lord, and let it dwell richly in me all my days.
In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.
Further Scripture References for Psalm 34:11:
Psalm 32:8, 66:16, 111:10; 2 Timothy 3:15; Proverbs 1:7, 3:1.
[1] John Bunyan, A Treatise of the Fear of God Shewing What It Is, and How Distinguished from That What Is Not so: (London: Printed for N. Ponder .., 1679), 88.
