I will teach you the fear of the Lord. Psalm 34:11
We will not get very far in our relationship with God unless we understand that He is to
be feared. In The Chronicles Of Narnia, an allegory by C. S. Lewis, the author tells about
two girls, Susan and Lucy, who are getting ready to meet Aslan the lion, who represents
Christ. Two talking animals, Mr. and Mrs. Beaver, prepare the children for the encounter.
"Ooh," says Susan, "I thought he was a man. Is he quite safe? I shall feel
rather nervous about meeting a lion."
"That you will, dearie," replies Mrs. Beaver. "And make no mistake, if
there's anyone who can appear before Aslan without their knees knocking, they're either
braver than most or else just silly."
"Then he isn't safe?" asks Lucy.
"Safe?" says Mr. Beaver. "Don't you hear what Mrs. Beaver tells you? Who
said anything about safe? Of course he isn't safe. But he's good. He's the king, I tell
you!"
The psalmist understood this awesome wonder when he wrote, "Oh, taste and see that
the Lord is good; blessed is the man who trusts in Him! Oh, fear the Lord, you His
saints!" (Psalm 34:8-9). We need not cringe in terror, but we must live before Him
with reverence and awe. Our holy God isn't "safe," but He is good.
-HWR
Oh, how I fear Thee, living God,
With deepest, tenderest fears
And worship Thee with trembling hope
And penitential tears!
-Psalter
If you fear God, you need fear nothing else.