What is the Fear of the Lord?

What do you hate? Certain sounds or smells? Maybe a person? It is not often that you think about God hating something. Isn't he the God of love? But there is something that God definitely hates… sin.

​Pray
Dear Lord, please open my mind to understand your words. I want to know what it means to fear you. Thank you. In Jesus' name, Amen.

Read
Proverbs 8:13 - To fear the Lord is to hate evil; I hate pride and arrogance, evil behavior and perverse speech.

Ask
According to Proverbs 8:13, what is the fear of the Lord?
What does God hate?

Reflect
What do you hate? Certain sounds or smells? Maybe a person? It is not often that you think about God hating something. Isn't he the God of love? But there is something that God definitely hates… sin.

Why would God have such a strong reaction to sin? It is actually God's deep determination to be close with his people that causes such a reaction to sin. For it is sin that breaks relationship with God. God's jealous love for you is the motivation for his hatred of sin. He does not want anything to come in between you and him.

Do you view your sin the same way God does? It can be easy to condone or excuse your sin. Do you sometimes see it as unavoidable? Perhaps your response to sin in your life is to "work on your character." But that is not walking in the fear of the Lord.

To fear the Lord is to hate sin the same way God does. It is not until you hate your sin that you will ever overcome the sin. No amount of character refinement through spiritual disciplines will bring success. It is only through the fear of the Lord that you will avoid evil. Proverbs 16:6

Meditate
Proverbs 6:16-19

Apply
Ask God to show you his perspective of the sin in your life that you have been "struggling" with. Call out to him with earnestness that you would learn to hate that sin the way he does. Your intimacy with God depends on it.