God wants you overcoming fear so that you be blessed and realize the greatest purposes for which He created you. What typically holds many of us back, though, and restrains us from experiencing God’s best for us is some sort of fear. It could be fear of failure, fear of rejection, fear of shame, fear of the future, fear of being alone, fear of harm, fear of loss, fear of the unknown or countless other fears.
Where does fear come from?
One thing we know is that fear doesn’t come from God. “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind” (2 Timothy 1:7). God offers us the gifts of faith and freedom—which are opposite of fear. So, what keeps us from receiving God’s gifts?
Let’s look at what fear is. Fear is typically defined as a distressing emotion, concern or anxiety aroused by a perceived threat (whether real or imagined) or risk of significant loss of anything held valuable, whether it be related to safety, security, provision, health or anything else.
Fear operates as a chain reaction. What starts or causes fearful responses? Psychology will tell you that fear begins as a stressful response to a certain stimulus. We don’t always consciously know what triggers it. But inclinations to fear do have an origin.
On this note, the Bible begins with an illustration providing insight into how fear originates. The story of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden serves as our reference point. The narrative in Genesis 3 records how immediately after Adam and Eve believed the lie of the serpent and ate of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, fear set in and influenced their decisions and actions.
Hear how Adam confessed why he hid from God in the garden: “I heard Your voice in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; and I hid myself.” God revealed very simply that the fear came because of the subconscious guilt and shame of disobeying and denying God’s truth and believing the lie. Trusting in falsehood fractured their ability to relate with God and apply His greater truth.
The story contrasts the dynamics of faith and fear; and the reality of the fruitfulness of trusting in the grace, nurturing and strength of Creator God vs. the futility of living apart from God, being swayed by humanity’s weaknesses and the forces of evil in the world. Living in trusting faith, being nurtured through God’s Word and Spirit, would bring divine blessings; whereas denying God’s truth brought fear and dire consequences.
Most of our fears begin either through traumatic events or patterns of life experiences very early in life. We are conditioned to living in fear through a lot of what we see and hear through people around us and the culture in which we live. So how can we overcome fear?
Overcoming fear’s root
The root of fear, in reality, comes from denying God’s grace and truth. We see this through the illustration of eating the forbidden fruit of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil.
The effect of listening to or being influenced by the serpent—the personification of evil—in reality depicts the seduction of falsehood and its effect of imparting fear. It paralyzes your soul, suffocates your spirit, blinds you to God’s loving-kindness, mercy and truth and sets you in forms of bondage.
The bondage, to a large degree, issues through the dynamics of how fear operates. It develops through an unhealthy conscience; one that has been clouded or dulled or cannot filter or discern truth.
Since the natural human response is pain avoidance, fear sets in gear basic human survival or coping mechanisms which are typically reflected in opposite fight-or-flight responses; some more healthy and socially acceptable than others. These mechanisms in effect establish propensities and patterns of behavior, which are reflected in the way one makes decisions and interacts with others.
Seeing the contrast between fear and faith
So, the greater the degree of fear, the greater one will revert to more extreme aggressive or passive types of behaviors and responses. Aggressive behaviors may include hyperactivity, inordinate controlling tactics, anger or violence; while passive behaviors may include hiding, depression or mental and behavioral paralysis.
The thing is fear is always self-defeating. It is destructive. Fear, the opposite of faith, is based on a lack of trust; which is what faith is all about.
Faith, in its deepest reality, is more about trust than anything else. You can believe in something intellectually but the degree to which you act is based more on your measure of trust; which is directly connected to truth. You will only trust in something or somebody with which you associate truth.
Truly, faith is an issue of trust; trusting what you hold as truth, and acting upon it. Since you can only trust those with whom you can relate, the more you relate with God, the greater your level of trust in God. What then can we say about real biblical faith?
The reality of Biblical faith
Biblical faith is more than rationalizing beliefs about God, expressing emotions towards God, engaging in superstitious practices or maintaining presumptuous notions based on partial truths or wishful thinking. Biblical faith is about forging and cultivating a relationship with God built on trust; trusting in who God is, His Word, His faithfulness and love, His grace and truth. That’s why the Lord is the ROCK of our salvation—faithful, strong and true!
As we receive truth the Holy Spirit brings conviction of heart and an inner witness that brings peace. Something else then happens. God’s nature—His character—is fashioned within us.
Why is character so important? Firstly, our own humanity and carnality influences our thoughts and emotions and restrains our ability to perceive God through mere intellectual reasoning, place trust in God and walk in faith. Godly character helps us trust God. It also reflects outwardly, setting an example for others, influencing them to likewise place trust in God and enter into a relationship with God.
We, therefore, see that faith is more than a system of knowledge, set of religious practices or superstition but trust in God, which issues in action and behavior, and fosters growth of character. It is that character—His character operating within us—that gives us courage to pursue righteous endeavors and walk in our convictions. So we see that courage is in effect applied faith; or putting faith in action.
The fear of the Lord anchors strong trusting faith
God’s purpose has always been to cultivate trusting faith in Him; and His sovereignty as Creator and Redeemer of mankind. He set the stage in Exodus 20 to provide a context in which to present His universal law and set of divine guidance for life—the Ten Commandments (or more literally, Ten Statements). He purposed to make a lasting impression upon the children of Israel and all mankind.
How? Immediately after these statements, we read how the people experienced the thunder and lightning, the trumpet blast and the smoking mountain, and thus were afraid and pulled back to stand at a distance. So, to calm them and impart a special dose of faith, Moses issued a unique word of encouragement: “Do not fear; for God has come to test you, and that His fear may be before you, so that you may not sin.”
To appreciate the profound meaning of this exhortation, we have to look at the meaning of some of the Hebrew words used. The Hebrew word translated as fear used is yirah. It has different levels of meanings. On the one hand it means to fear, revere and hold in awe. Even further, it conveys a sense of wonderment and amazement to inspire a sense of reverent worship, devotion and trust—one that would cause you to dread and repel sin.
Taking it a step further, the Hebrew word translated as test is nasot, which also has multiple levels of meaning. On the one hand it means to prove, assay; examine the quality of something. It also means to a greater extent, to be so proven that we can be persuaded by, accustomed to or familiar with something.
God’s purpose in testing us, therefore, is to bring us to the place of being so persuaded by the immensity of His power and so familiar with His presence and nature that it will transform us, expand our capacity and grow us into greater vessels, capable of receiving God’s immense blessings!
So, we see God’s greater purpose is to more than test us. He wants to strengthen our heart, transform us and establish a strong enduring covenant relationship with us. Truly, God desires to impart in us a healthy fear—a sense of awe and high regard for Him that promotes an overwhelming trust in the reality of His presence, power, love and faithfulness. Such faith inspires us to uphold righteous standards and values, and engage in righteous pursuits.
In addition, such a sense of God’s presence, oversight and power will incline you to be conscious of the effect of what you say and do, that you might not sin and fall short of God’s best. So, how do we fall short of God’s best for us? Through distrust and resisting to walk according to His righteous, moral and ethical standards and ways.
Here we see how the fear of God truly manifests reality as the love of God. It is this love which God desires to cultivate in the human heart. See how the dynamics of this concept work. Being immersed in God’s love causes you to not want to offend or betray God, deny His truths or violate His covenant and moral law.
God does demand that we honor and revere Him. He is a jealous God. What does that really mean? Out of His love for us He will tolerate no other gods we may place before Him. So, He watches over us with a fiery jealousy to protect us; and preserve the integrity of His covenant relationship with us.
The fear of the Lord brings you into closer alignment with the Godhead
In drawing you towards God, it further causes you to want to come into alignment with Him; His purposes, ways and values, thought processes and heart patterns. It further draws you towards loving His nature and identifying with His manifold attributes as:
Creator– loving what God as Father created in you, and desiring to be an expression of it;
Revealer– loving what God as Holy Spirit reveals as truths and insights into spiritual realities;
Redeemer– loving how God came as Messiah and Lord to bring eternal redemption, reconciliation, restoration and recovery of what Satan and the world has stolen through falsehood, corruption and the power of evil.
What the fear of the Lord does is establish and affirm God’s image upon your heart, and keep God front and center before you that you become so familiar with Him—His nature, truths and ways—more than your familiarity with carnal, humanistic and worldly ways motivated by fleshly desires and falsehood—or the lust of the flesh, lust of the eyes and pride of life..
This was how David overcame the fear of the giant Goliath! He defeated him by applying what God had made familiar to him—trusting faith in God and simple tools he learned to use effectively. As he told King Saul, he didn’t need the king’s armor, which was too bulky and unproven to him—or which he was unfamiliar with and unaccustomed to.
David, the man after God’s own heart, kept God’s truth upon the forefront of his mind. God’s love and covenant truth was inscribed upon the tablet of his heart, It gave him the courage to overcome the fear that had paralyzed the army of Saul.
The fear of the Lord inspires courageous action motivated by faith
The Bible is full of stories illustrating how the fear of the Lord inspired people to muster up great faith, act courageously and experience incredible results. In Hebrews 11:7 we read how, “by faith Noah, being divinely warned of things not yet seen, moved with godly fear, prepared an ark for the saving of his household, by which he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness which is according to faith.”
I love the phrase, “he condemned the world.” Think about it. Think about the scorn and intimidation of the world condemning him as he constructed this huge ship on dry ground—with no water in sight. Can you hear the constant ridicule and taunts?
Perhaps you’ve been through something where you were constantly condemned, looked down upon, ridiculed, shamed or made to feel guilty? What faith and inner strength do you think Noah had to have to overcome such adversity and conflict? It is the kind that God seeks to develop in you!
Let the heroes of faith inspire you through their testimonies recorded in Hebrews 11. They all allowed God to strengthen them on the inside, cultivate the healthy fear of the Lord and act in tremendous faith to experience the awesome power of God and accomplish much in their generation. Have you ever wondered what it will take for you to act with such boldness and courage to allow God to accomplish great things through you?
I’ve experienced God’s amazing grace in numerous ways over the last 30-plus years. He has given me many opportunities to testify of His awesome love and power—and the many devotionals on this site relate them within the context of engaging with God to overcome adversity and inner and outer conflict.
One thing I have found is that God brings us to places to work through and settle some key issue inside before He gives us opportunities to advance forward and experience His glory in amazing ways.
Settling the issue of the fear of the Lord brings God’s good success
One hugely inspiring word of encouragement in the Bible relates a message that Joshua gave to the children of Israel after having fought many battles to possess the land God had promised. We read it in Joshua 24:14-15.
Now therefore, fear the Lord, serve Him in sincerity and in truth, and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the River and in Egypt. Serve the Lord! And if it seems evil to you to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.
Joshua had made a KEY decision in his heart. He settled this critical issue—to fear God and serve God in sincerity and in truth—walk in integrity. Think about it. He had in effect settled several key issues in his heart.
First, he had to choose to trust God and walk in total faithfulness; then serve God and not just himself. But he did not settle to merely do stuff for God. He set his whole being—his heart, mind and strength—on serving in sincerity and in truth; in other words, total integrity and commitment.
Joshua didn’t settle to serve God through ritual or out of mere obligation, when he felt emotionally high or when it would be convenient or socially acceptable, benefit him in some way or just to feel good about himself. He set his whole being in alignment with God—to walk and act to accomplish His purposes for His glory. Talk about commitment. Joshua embodied it.
To do so, however, Joshua had to settle another issue: put away all the other gods—the false gods man creates and seeks after. What false gods? Every sort of high, lofty and vain image mankind imagines in one’s mind and desires in one’s heart; that will prove to be of little real value and leave a hollow feeling inside, not to mention serve as a distraction from other more important things in life.
Joshua repeated this message, not only exhorting the people to “put away the foreign gods which are among you” but with a challenge to “incline your heart to the Lord God of Israel.” In other words, set your heart towards God and keep it bent His way.
What a challenge; certainly difficult with all the persuasions and indulgences humanity offers us. But there are rewards—and far better than those offered by modern-day credit cards and loyalty programs! There are the rewards that only God can offer; His love, His joy and peace of soul. So He challenges us to walk in wisdom and pursue the more important and fulfilling things in life.
The fear of the Lord predisposes you to receive and walk in God’s grace, love, wisdom and power
David had to battle huge external and internal conflicts to come to the place of experiencing God’s awesome power and grace in immensely rewarding ways. Through his struggles, he learned the wisdom of God to pass it on to his son Solomon, who ruled Israel through its glory days. Solomon cherished wisdom. It won him the favor and gifts of kings in his day. He shared with all humanity what he learned in the book of Proverbs.
It’s amazing how David and Solomon learned where wisdom begins to operate. I pray these simple words in Proverbs 1:7 inspire you to be catapulted to new heights!
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge,
But fools despise wisdom and instruction.
Wow. In this little nutshell, we see such a contrast! The Message version of the Bible expands upon this truth in a real simple way we can certainly relate to. It says how wisdom teaches us “how to live well and right, to understand what life means and where it’s going” and how it serves as a “manual for living, for learning what’s right and just and fair; to teach the inexperienced the ropes and give our young people a grasp on reality.”
Solomon expanded upon the contrast of wisdom and foolishness, and the fruit of walking in both, continuing through chapter one, verses 27-33.
27 When your terror comes like a storm,
And your destruction comes like a whirlwind,
When distress and anguish come upon you.
28 “Then they will call on me, but I will not answer;
They will seek me diligently, but they will not find me.
29 Because they hated knowledge
And did not choose the fear of the Lord,
30 They would have none of my counsel
And despised my every rebuke.
31 Therefore they shall eat the fruit of their own way,
And be filled to the full with their own fancies.
32 For the turning away of the simple will slay them,
And the complacency of fools will destroy them;
33 But whoever listens to me will dwell safely,
And will be secure, without fear of evil.
People always wonder why God doesn’t seem to care or hear our prayer. Can Solomon’s words of wisdom be any clearer? GOD DOES CARE! He offers to train us in His ways—which are grounded in grace and truth.
Yes, He offers us His amazing grace; but it comes through faith—applying trusting dynamic living faith in God. And real trusting faith is grounded in the healthy and fruitful fear of the Lord.
Connecting grace and faith
God’s word is consistent. The Apostle Paul sowed it earnestly in the hearts of believers to bring salvation and vibrant life to people in despair, without hope. He endeavored to see the life of God infused into people and inspire real transformation.
His message was simple: all humanity could experience the fullness of God’s covenant promises and “the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ” (Romans 3:22). He expounded on this theme in Galatians 3:14-26, revealing how the blessing of Abraham would be experienced through the power of the Holy Spirit through faith; and that all could experience vibrant life as a child of God through faith in Jesus Christ. Paul further revealed that access to God’s amazing grace and the fullness of God’s love which transcends beyond worldly knowledge is obtained and experienced through faith (Ephesians 3:12-17).
So why do we find it so hard to walk in faith and apply God’s truths in every day practical ways? This is the KEY question. I have found it takes the secret ingredient. David, the man after God’s own heart, discovered through all his trials that the secret is embracing and possessing the fear of the Lord. Hear his heart as he expresses it in Psalm 25:14.
The secret of the Lord is with those who fear Him,
And He will show them His covenant.
David discovered that God welcomed those walking in the fear of the Lord into intimate communion. Through such relational fellowship, God reveals the mysteries and manifests the blessings of His covenant.
Jesus brought this concept forward and amplified its relevance. He spoke of the blessings of fruitfulness that would be realized through such communion and fellowship—or abiding—in an intimate relationship with Him.
Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.…If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples. (John 15:4-8)
David knew such intimate fellowship with God. It was how he discovered another key truth: the fear of the Lord issues in and inspires integrity.
The fear of the Lord fosters real integrity of heart
David, the man after God’s own heart, learned that integrity was what God valued and sought to cultivate in the human heart. He learned how the fear of the Lord caused him to be willing to be transparent, open and honest before a very real and present God.
Vindicate me, O Lord,
For I have walked in my integrity.
I have also trusted in the Lord;
I shall not slip.
2 Examine me, O Lord, and prove me;
Try my mind and my heart.
— Psalm 26:1-2By this I know that You are well pleased with me,
Because my enemy does not triumph over me.
12 As for me, You uphold me in my integrity,
And set me before Your face forever.
— Psalm 41:11-12
David experienced the favor and protection of God that came from walking in the fear of the Lord and integrity. He learned that the fear of the Lord is a healthy fear that brings us to a conscious awareness of God’s very real-time presence.
The fear of the Lord brings you beyond surface knowledge or book knowledge, beyond superstition or presumptuous belief. It is a knowing that God is sovereign; all-seeing, all-knowing, all-powerful and watching you! He knows your thoughts, your meditations, your desires and your prayers.
The fear of the Lord will pierce through your humanity and being to bring you to a strong sense of transparency—being transparent before God. It will lead you to being honest with God and honest with yourself; and real before people.
It will also cause you to rightly discern and distinguish between what is right in your own eyes—even the world’s eyes—and right before God. It will pierce through your areas of darkness, revealing your greatest fears, blind ambitions and hidden agendas.
How? It will cause you to value what God values: virtues like integrity, humility, wisdom, love, sacrifice, faithfulness, diligence and accountability. It will truly be effective in producing what God refers to as the fruit of the Spirit: “love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control” (Galatians 5:22-24).
I hope this sounds appetizing to you. Yes, it’s different than the kind of life the world presents. But it is more fulfilling and more satisfying. Because it’s real.
Jesus taught that the fear of God provides the strong bedrock foundation for faith
In Matthew 7:24-25 Jesus addressed the very essence of Biblical faith. He said, “Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock.”
He connected with the foundational essence of faith illustrated throughout the Hebrew Scriptures: hear and do. Again, He affirmed that faith is more than a belief system; but trusting God and acting upon God’s truth.
Jesus drilled deeper to the core of the issue by making a crucial point in Matthew 10:28-29, in declaring, “do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.”
In other words, fear God, the sovereign Creator and Ruler of the Universe, who has ultimate authority over life and death. God alone holds our life in the balances. In God alone, can you can place your ultimate trust. This was the point that Solomon made in declaring, “The fear of man brings a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord shall be safe” (Proverbs 29:25).
How does this put a healthy fear in you? It brings us to realize that God is the ultimate authority over all types of consequences. It is what keeps us from thinking we can do things that God doesn’t see. It is what keeps us from having but-attitudes.
What’s a but-attitude? It’s when we decide to have faith and trust God with anything but…but what? But what we want to keep control over or hold onto…those desires, images, ideas and things we place an inappropriate measure of value on. Now God does have grace on us. He knows our frame. He seeks, however, our undivided allegiance. Yes, it takes time for us to realize what this amounts to.
So we see a crucial point. While fear is destructive, the fear of the Lord is constructive and healthy. It builds and anchors strong faith—trust in God that strengthens us to walk and act courageously—in Him.
Allowing God’s love to help you overcome fear and be strengthened in faith
Paul lived through more than his share of hardship, conflict and trials. He fought external and internal battles. I can relate to what he wrote in 2 Corinthians 7:5. “Outside were conflicts, inside were fears.”
He experienced God’s faithfulness, though, and learned how to live through conflict as an overcomer. He shared an inspiring word for all to embrace:
In all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 8:37-39).
God’s love allows you to be true and real to yourself and others. Fear restrains and constrains you. God wants the real you to be free and authentic. It takes “pealing the onion” to get to the deeper layers of truth; beneath and beyond the layers of protective shields we have allowed to build up to protect us from our deepest fears.
Can you place your trust in God—in the truth of His word and power of His Spirit? He will cultivate in you the fear of the Lord and integrity of heart—so you can become all He created you to be.
David and Paul—amongst millions of others—did. “Blessed is the man who makes the LORD his trust, who does not look to the proud, to those who turn aside to false gods. Many, O LORD my God, are the wonders you have done. The things you planned for us no one can recount to you; were I to speak and tell of them, they would be too many to declare” (Psalm 40:4-5). You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in you (Isaiah 26:3).
Wow. Perfect peace. Can you receive God’s perfect peace? Let these words and the fear of the Lord settle within you…and come into His perfect peace.