Does God ever cause sickness? Is it ever His will not to heal? I love Bill Johnson‘s wisdom as he answers questions at one of Randy Clark‘s Healing Conferences.

What are your thoughts about this? Do you let your experience define your theology?

It’s hard not to be excited at real possibilities and I’m not saying you should control your excitement. It may be wisdom to wait to truly celebrate, but the Father’s not into Stoicism.

Sometimes the light at the end of the tunnel isn’t a train. It’s not fun going through life as a pessimist.

But when the excitement at the possibilities becomes your hope for the future, you will be disappointed. We aren’t created to hope in temporal things. We are made for eternity and that’s why we’ll always be disappointed when our hope is placed in anything but the Eternal. Find out more at HopeInTransition.com

16 Ways I’ve Found to Fear the Lord

How can I fear the Lord? Fearing the Lord is not walking around being afraid you’re going to give account of all your past sins at the end of your days. You will do this if you haven’t asked  Him to forgive you in this life. But if you are washed, sanctified, and justified – which you are when you have Jesus as Lord of your life (1 Corinthians 6:9-11)- you’re only going to give account for your works, not your forgiven sin.

So how do I fear the Lord? I’ve found 16 ways.  Please don’t take this as a checklist to complete but also know you can’t pick and choose what you want to do. Psalm 19:9 says Reverence for the Lord is pure, lasting forever. (New Living Translation) We can’t be “a little pregnant” and we can’t fear God “a little.”

1. Be open to the Instruction of the Lord…

Psalm 25:12 (New Living Translation)

Who are those who fear the Lord?
He will show them the path they should choose.

Proverbs 15:33 (New Living Translation)

Fear of the Lord teaches wisdom;
humility precedes honor.

2. Find Delight His Commands….

Psalm 112:1 (New Living Translation)

Praise the Lord!

How joyful are those who fear the Lord
and delight in obeying his commands.

3. Trust in the Lord…

Psalm 115:11 (New Living Translation)

All you who fear the Lord, trust the Lord!
He is your helper and your shield.

4. Hope in His Unfailing Love….

Psalm 33:18 (New Living Translation)

But the Lord watches over those who fear him,
those who rely on his unfailing love.

5. Serve Him with Reverential Joy…

Psalm 2:11 (New Living Translation)

Serve the Lord with reverent fear,
and rejoice with trembling.

6. Seek an Undivided Heart…

Psalm 86:11 (New International Version)

Teach me your way, O LORD, and I will walk in your truth; give me an undivided heart, that I may fear your name.

7. Praise the Lord…

Psalm 135:20 (New Living Translation)

O Levites, praise the Lord!
All you who fear the Lord, praise the Lord!

Psalm 96:4 (New Living Translation)

Great is the Lord! He is most worthy of praise!
He is to be feared above all gods.

8. Honor Him and Show Him Reverence…

Psalm 22:23 (New Living Translation)

Praise the Lord, all you who fear him!
Honor him, all you descendants of Jacob!
Show him reverence, all you descendants of Israel!

9. Experience His Glory…

Psalm 102:15 (New International Version)

The nations will fear the name of the LORD,
all the kings of the earth will revere your glory.

10. Be In Awe of Him…

Psalm 33:8 (New Living Translation)

Let the whole world fear the Lord,
and let everyone stand in awe of him.

11. Hate Evil…

Proverbs 8:13 (New International Version)

To fear the LORD is to hate evil;
I hate pride and arrogance,
evil behavior and perverse speech.

12. Perfect your holiness…

2 Corinthians 7:1 (New International Version)

Since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God.

13. Work to Reconcile others…

2 Corinthians 5:11 (New International Version)

Since, then, we know what it is to fear the Lord, we try to persuade men. What we are is plain to God, and I hope it is also plain to your conscience.

14. Work out your Salvation…

Philippians 2:12 (New International Version)

Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling,

15. Search out wisdom…

Proverbs 2:1-9 (New Living Translation)

My child, listen to what I say,

and treasure my commands.

Tune your ears to wisdom,

and concentrate on understanding.

Cry out for insight,

and ask for understanding.

Search for them as you would for silver;

seek them like hidden treasures.

Then you will understand what it means to fear the Lord,

and you will gain knowledge of God.

For the Lord grants wisdom!

From his mouth come knowledge and understanding.

He grants a treasure of common sense to the honest.

He is a shield to those who walk with integrity.

He guards the paths of the just

and protects those who are faithful to him.

Then you will understand what is right, just, and fair,

and you will find the right way to go.

16. Obey His Commandments…

Ecclesiastes 12:13 (New International Version)

Now all has been heard;
here is the conclusion of the matter:
Fear God and keep his commandments,
for this is the whole duty of man.

Do you know any other Scriptures telling us how to fear the Lord? I appreciate them in the comments.

We’ll start the next post asking why “doing what’s right” is part of fearing the Lord…I don’t think I’ll get to my answer, but I want you to take note of that now.

Why should I Fear the Lord? It can’t be simply to get the good He has for us. In fact, it shouldn’t be for any of the benefits the Scripture tell us. We need to know how to fear Him because of who He is. The One who spoke the Worlds into existence is bigger than any “friend” box I can dream up for Him.

I’m outlining the benefits to help increase the expectancy and therefore the desire to learn to fear the Lord.

I’ve found twelve benefits for fearing the Lord that include and go beyond getting the good He’s promised to us. These 12 may not be a complete list, but they are what I can find in Scripture.

12 Benefits of Fearing the Lord

1. Your Life is Prolonged…

Proverbs 10:27 (New International Version)

The fear of the LORD adds length to life,
but the years of the wicked are cut short.

2. The Lord Confides in You…

Psalm 25:14 (New International Version)

The LORD confides in those who fear him;
he makes his covenant known to them.

3. His Angel Camps Around You and He Delivers You…

Psalm 34:7 (New International Version)

The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear him,
and he delivers them.

4. You have a secure fortress…

Proverbs 14:26 (New International Version)

He who fears the LORD has a secure fortress,
and for his children it will be a refuge.

5. You have a fountain of life…

Proverbs 14:27 (New International Version)

The fear of the LORD is a fountain of life,
turning a man from the snares of death.

6. You will avoid evil…

Proverbs 16:6 (New International Version)

Through love and faithfulness sin is atoned for;
through the fear of the LORD a man avoids evil.

7. You rest content…

Proverbs 19:23 (New International Version)

The fear of the LORD leads to life:
Then one rests content, untouched by trouble.

8. You have the Lord’s compassion…

Psalm 103:13 (New International Version)

As a father has compassion on his children,
so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him;

9. You experience the Lord’s love…

Psalm 103:17 (New International Version)

But from everlasting to everlasting
the LORD’s love is with those who fear him,
and his righteousness with their children’s children-

10. You have the Lord’s delight…

Psalm 147:11 (New Living Translation)

No, the Lord’s delight is in those who fear him,
those who put their hope in his unfailing love.

11. You have the Lord’s provision…

Psalm 34:9 (New Living Translation)

Fear the Lord, you his godly people,
for those who fear him will have all they need.

12. You have the beginning of Wisdom…

Psalm 111:10 (New International Version)

The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom;
all who follow his precepts have good understanding.

There really are great benefits for fearing the Lord, in fact:

It’s better to have little with the fear of the Lord than great wealth with turmoil (Proverbs 15:16).

It’s not passe. It’s not for another dispensation. It’s not for someone “other than me.”

We need to understand how we can fear the Lord. That’s the next post in this series. I’d appreciate hearing any thoughts you have it this so far. I know it can be a controversial or ignored topic.

Truth:

So think clearly and exercise self-control. Look forward to the gracious salvation that will come to you when Jesus Christ is revealed to the world. 1 Peter 1:13 (New Living Translation)

Thought:

Self-control is a mark of wisdom. Proverbs 29:11 says, “A fool gives full vent to his anger, but a wise man keeps himself under control” (NIV). Self-control is one of the most difficult fruit to grow for some people.

Our culture tells us to, “Buy now, pay later.” We move out of our parent’s home and want to get everything they took a lifetime to gather, in just a couple of years. We’re taught to have an attention span of 6 minutes – until the next commercial. We’re trained to expect instant gratification.

So is there any hope to grow the fruit of self-control?

With God there always is hope. It’s so much easier to be self-controlled when you let the Spirit control you.

Here’s an example: I’ve tried different times to diet and lose some weight. I don’t have the self-control to stick to it. But my wife and I felt led by God to do an extended Daniel fast. We abstained from everything but vegetables, fruit, water, whole grains and nuts. I was doing it in obedience to God and unto him. I knew it was His will and that He would help me do His will. I wasn’t trying to lose weight, but I did.

So it’s good to know His will and that He helps us to do His will.

It’s His will for us to control our bodies:

God’s will is for you to be holy, so stay away from all sexual sin. Then each of you will control his own body and live in holiness and honor– not in lustful passion like the pagans who do not know God and his ways. Never harm or cheat a Christian brother in this matter by violating his wife, for the Lord avenges all such sins, as we have solemnly warned you before. God has called us to live holy lives, not impure lives. 1 Thessalonians 4:3-7 (New Living Translation)

It’s His will for us to control our minds:

The end of all things is near. Therefore be clear minded and self-controlled so that you can pray. 1 Peter 4:7 (New International Version)

It’s His will for us to control our mouths:

Watch your tongue and keep your mouth shut, and you will stay out of trouble. Proverbs 21:23 (New Living Translation)

And He’s given us the Holy Spirit to teach and empower us to live self-controlled lives:

For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present
age, Titus 2:11-12 (New International Version)

Isn’t God good?

Prayer:

Lord, I need Your help to grow self-control. I know it’s not my determination that makes me right before You. It’s Your grace and mercy that I need to grow this fruit. Empower me to control my body, my thoughts and my mouth…all for Your glory.

Challenge:

Do you need to grow self-control in an area of your life? Confess it to God, ask Him to help you, and then find someone today to help you stay accountable.

Declaration:

I choose to reflect the light of the Son to the side of the world that’s away from the sun. I choose to put on love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.

It’s best I don’t assume everyone buys into a life of “following hard after God”. Every tribe of church has our own language and  assumptions and what makes perfect sense to one won’t mean a thing to the next. Truth be told, even if we think we know what “seek the Lord” means, chances are its not exactly how Scripture defines it.

And so before I begin to show you how we are to seek the Lord as Scripture defines, I need to show you it’s a good thing to do.

The Benefits of Seeking the Lord

• We’ll fully understand justice (Proverbs 28:5)
• We don’t need to worry about everything everyone worries about (Matthew 6:31-33)
• God’s ears will be attentive to our prayers (1 Peter 3:12)
• We’ll be delivered from our fears (Psalm 34:4)
• We’ll Live! (Amos 5:4)
• We will be strengthened (2 Chronicles 16:9)
• God will be found (1 Chronicles 28:9, Jeremiah 29:13)

These are all positive outcomes for a positive life. So I say it’s time we seek the Lord. I’ll outline how in another post today.