25/10/2026
What does it truly mean to fear God? And have we, perhaps, become so familiar with the things of God that we have lost our awe of Him?
To fear the Lord is to recognise who He is. His holiness, His greatness, His authority and His majesty, and to respond with reverence, awe and a deep respect for Him. It is not simply being afraid of God or living in terror of His judgment. It is understanding that He is holy, that He is worthy of our worship, and that our lives should reflect the honour He deserves.
Proverbs 9:10 tells us, “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight.”
Scripture makes it clear that the fear of the Lord is foundational to wisdom. When we begin to understand who God truly is, it changes the way we see Him, the way we approach our faith, the decisions we make and the way we live.
We see this reflected in the lives of those who feared the Lord. When Joseph was tempted to sin, he asked, “How then can I do this great wickedness and sin against God?” (Genesis 39:9). His response revealed that his desire to honour God mattered more than the opportunity to satisfy himself. Job, too, was described as a man who was “blameless and upright, one who feared God and turned away from evil” (Job 1:1). Their lives remind us that fearing God is not merely something we profess; it should influence how we live, even when no one else is watching.
But perhaps we need to ask ourselves an uncomfortable question: Have we become too casual in our faith?
In a world where familiarity can sometimes diminish our sense of wonder, have we become so accustomed to the things of God that we no longer pause to consider the holiness of the One we worship? Have prayer, worship, Scripture and gathering together become so routine that we sometimes forget the God at the centre of it all?
God invites us into a relationship with Him, and through Christ we can approach Him with confidence. But intimacy with God should never cause us to lose sight of His holiness. His grace does not make Him less worthy of reverence. Knowing Him more deeply should lead us to honour Him more, not less.
Perhaps the revival the Church needs is not simply more activity, more gatherings or more outward expressions of faith, but a genuine revival of reverence for God. A return to recognising Him for who He truly is.
The world needs a God-fearing Church. Not merely a Church that speaks about God, sings about Him or gathers in His name, but one whose life reflects His character. A Church that walks in humility, pursues holiness, demonstrates love, stands for truth and honours God in both public and private. A Church that understands that its calling is not to make God fit into the patterns of the world, but to reflect Him faithfully within it.
And perhaps that renewal begins with each of us, with a willingness to examine our own hearts and rediscover the wonder of who God is.
May we never become so familiar with the things of God that we lose our awe of Him. May our knowledge of Him deepen our reverence, may our reverence shape the way we live, and may our lives reflect the honour He deserves.
