The Fear of the Lord Tends to Life: True Happiness in Reverence

The fear of the Lord tendeth to life.—Godliness has "the promise of the life that now is." It might have been otherwise. Infinite Benevolence would have His saints to be happy. As Elohim is the source of all happiness in heaven, so all contact with Yahweh brings happiness here.

The fear of the Lord is not that dread found in the unconverted soul, nor the terror when the Holy Spirit exposes God's law, nor the fear of the backsliding Christian. This is the fear of a child, wrought in the soul by the Spirit—a fear born from beholding Jesus, from seeing Elohim in Christ.

Great blessings attend this fear. First, it tendeth to life: to prolong days and grant true life. Second, he that possesses it shall abide satisfied. While lower things offer fleeting satisfaction, everything connected with the service of Yahweh contains unutterable blessing. Third, he shall not be visited with evil. Though a thousand things may seem evil, no real evil shall befall him.

Why, then, are other things so eagerly sought while this one thing is lamentably neglected? The fear of the Lord stands in Scripture for the whole of true religion—a disposition of grace whereby believers regard their heavenly Father with holy awe, reverence, and filial dread of offending Him. Of the wicked it is said: "there is no fear of God before his eyes." They live, act, speak, and meditate evil as if Elohim observed nothing. The fear of the Lord prolongeth days even in this world, while transgressions and excesses shorten life.