How we thank God for His goodness. How we thank God for his mercy. It is only because of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed (Lamentations 3:22).
However, we cannot experience His goodness and mercy without first knowing the fear of God. We must learn to walk in the fear of God. This is not only Old Testament teaching, but New Testament teaching.
1 Peter 1:17 states: “And if ye call on the Father, who without respect of persons judgeth according to every man’s work, pass the time of your sojourning here in fear.” The word “fear” is “phobos” and means “terror, godly fear, reverence.”
It is very important for us fathers to teach our children the fear of the Lord. Fathers who fail to teach their children how to walk in the fear of God deprive them of God’s blessings. Churches who are afraid to speak about the fear of God rob their people of many blessings.
Deuteronomy 6:2 tells us that we PROLONG OUR LIVES when we walk in the fear of God: “That thou mighest fear the LORD thy God, to keep all his statues and his commandments, which I command thee, thou, and thy son, and thy son’s son, all the days of they life; and that THY DAYS MAY BE PROLONGED.”
As fathers, we must show to our children by example what it means to fear the Lord in a godly way. If we have no fear about offending our holy God, we are most unfortunate people. It is much easier to fall into sin when we have no fear of God.
The psalmists speak much of the fear of God. The following are 25 Psalm Scriptures about the rewards of fearing God.
When we walk in the fear of the Lord . . .
1. GOD WILL TEACH US HIS WAYS (Psalm 25:12).
2. GOD WILL SHOW US HIS SECRETS (Psalm 25:14).
3. GOD WILL SHOW US HIS GOODNESS (Psalm 31:19).
4. GOD’S EYE WILL BE UPON US (Psalm 33:18).
5. GOD WILL ENCAMP AROUND US (Psalm 34:7).
6. WE WILL HAVE NO WANT (Psalm 34:9).
7. GOD WILL GIVE US A BANNER (A BATTLE STANDARD) (Psalm 60:4).
8. GOD’S SALVATION WILL BE NEAR TO US (Psalm 85:9).
9. GLORY WILL DWELL IN OUR LAND (Psalm 85:9). What a wonderful promise for the nation. Oh, to have a nation of people who fear the Lord.
10. GOD WILL PROVIDE US WITH FOOD (Psalm 111:5).
11. GOD WILL BLESS FATHERS WITH MIGHTY OFFSPRING (Psalm 112:1, 2).
12. GOD WILL BE OUR HELP AND SHIELD (Psalm 115:11).
13. GOD WILL BLESS OUR FAMILY AND INCREASE US (Psalm 115:11-14).
14. GOD WILL BLESS FATHERS WITH PROVISION, PROSPERITY, AND HAPPINESS (Psalm 128:1, 2, 4).
15. GOD WILL BLESS US WITH A WIFE IN THE HEART OF THE HOME (Psalm 128:3).
16. GOD WILL BLESS US WITH MANY CHILDREN AROUND OUR TABLE (Palm 128:3).
17. GOD WILL BLESS WITH GRANDCHILDREN (Psalm 128:1, 6).
18. WE WILL SPEAK OF HIS EVERLASTING MERCIES (Psalm 118:4).
19. GOD’S WORD WILL BE ESTABLISHED, ACCOMPLISHED, AND CONFIRMED IN US (Psalm 119:38).
20. WE WILL SEEK GOOD COMPANIONS (Psalm 119:63).
21. OTHERS WHO FEAR THE LORD WILL BE GLAD TO SEE US (Psalm 119:74, 79).
22. WE WILL DELIGHT TO BLESS AND PRAISE THE LORD (Psalm 22:23; 135:20).
23. GOD WILL FULFIL OUR HEART’S DESIRE (Psalm 145: 19).
24. GOD WILL HEAR OUR CRIES AND SAVE US (Psalm 145:19).
25. GOD WILL TAKE PLEASURE IN US (Psalm 147:11).
Be encouraged.
Colin Campbell
Painting by Barret - Father and Son Embrace