From Avoiding Judgment to Adoring His Presence
In the quiet moments, yesterday, while hiking up a local hill here in Helensburgh, away from the noise of the world, I’ve felt it, a deep longing to be close to God, to dwell in His presence, to escape the pull of this sinful age.
You know, folks, in those quiet times, maybe when you’re on your own somewhere, away from all the hustle and noise of this world, many of you might say the same thing: “I really want to be close to the Lord. I want to dwell in His presence. I want to get away from all this sin and wickedness around me.” And that’s beautiful.
That’s the Holy Spirit drawing you. But then, honestly, we catch ourselves slipping sometimes. We find ourselves living more like we’re just trying to keep things straight enough to stay out of hell, rather than being overwhelmed with the wonder of who God really is.
We’re keeping our cards together to escape punishment, but the deep reverence, that holy awe, has grown a little dim. And that grieves the heart, doesn’t it? I’ve been there too.
But praise God, He wants to stir that up in us again.
The Bible calls this the fear of the Lord, and let me tell you, it’s not what a lot of people think. It’s not terror that God’s going to zap you if you step out of line. No, no. That’s not the fear the Scriptures are talking about.
The fear of the Lord is reverential awe. It’s that deep respect and wonder before the greatness, the holiness, the majesty of God. It’s what keeps us humble. It keeps us obedient. And most importantly, it keeps us close to Him.
The Foundation of Wisdom and Life
You see, the Bible is so clear on this. Right from the beginning, Solomon tells us: “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction” (Proverbs 1:7).
“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding” (Proverbs 9:10).
Now that word “beginning” means the starting place, the very foundation. Everything true and wise starts right here, with this reverent awe of God. And when that fear is alive in your heart, wonderful things happen.
You begin to hate evil, because “The fear of the Lord is to hate evil; pride and arrogance and the evil way and the perverse mouth I hate” (Proverbs 8:13). You depart from evil, because “by the fear of the Lord men depart from evil” (Proverbs 16:6). And it becomes a fountain of life to you: “The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life, to turn one away from the snares of death” (Proverbs 14:27).
But here’s where it gets serious, folks. When we start playing around with sin, when we toy with temptation, let our minds linger on things we know are wrong, ignore that little nudge from the Holy Spirit, the fear begins to fade.
It gets dimmer and dimmer. The conviction that used to stop us cold doesn’t hit as hard. We start taking God’s grace for granted. Selfishness moves in. And before long, the heart can drift to where there’s very little fear of God left.
The psalmist described the wicked this way: “There is no fear of God before his eyes” (Psalm 36:1). And Paul quotes it again in Romans 3:18. When a man keeps hardening himself, that reverent awe can grow so weak that it’s almost gone. And that’s a dangerous place to be.
The Sad Examples in Scripture
We don’t have to look far to see what happens. Take Solomon. The wisest man who ever lived. God appeared to him twice. He wrote these very proverbs about fearing the Lord.
Yet he started multiplying wives, horses, and gold, just what God said not to do for kings in Deuteronomy 17. And his heart was turned away to other gods. He built high places for idols. The man who warned about the strange woman ended up falling because he didn’t guard that fear.
Or look at Israel at Mount Sinai. They saw the fire, heard the voice of God, trembled, and God said the fear was meant to keep them from sinning (Exodus 20:20). But in less than forty days they were making a golden calf. They “turned aside quickly” (Exodus 32:8). The awe that should have held them close just vanished when they got impatient and lusted for something easier.
These stories aren’t just history. They speak to us today. When the fear dims, we drift. We seek God’s hand more than His face. We treat His grace lightly. And that’s not what God wants for His children.
The Hope: Rekindling Awe Through Grace
But thank the Lord, there’s hope. This isn’t the end of the story. The fear of the Lord can be stirred up again.
God doesn’t want us living under torment-fear; that kind gets cast out by perfect love (1 John 4:18). He wants us walking in love and reverence together.
David knew this longing. He cried out:“One thing I have desired of the Lord, that will I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord” (Psalm 27:4).
“O God, You are my God; early will I seek You; my soul thirsts for You… to see Your power and Your glory. Because Your lovingkindness is better than life” (Psalm 63:1–3).
That’s the heart God wants in us. And how do we get it back? Simple, practical steps from the Word:
Get into the Word every day ~ Just read Proverbs slowly.
Let those verses about the fear of the Lord soak in. Think about God’s holiness, His mercy at the cross.
Pray honestly ~ Tell Him, “Lord, I’ve drifted. I’ve been more worried about punishment than adoring You. Unite my heart to fear Your name” (Psalm 86:11).
Remember the cross every day ~ Not just to stay out of hell, but to stand amazed that the holy God loved you enough to die for you. That stirs real awe.
Flee temptation fast ~ Don’t play with it. Run to Jesus like Joseph ran from Potiphar’s wife.
Seek His presence ~ In prayer, in worship, out on those mountain walks, or in your time alone. The more you behold Him, the more you’ll love Him and reverence Him.
The fear of the Lord isn’t a heavy burden, folks. It’s a blessing. It keeps us from sin. It keeps us humble. It turns obedience into joy. And as Solomon concluded the whole matter: “Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is man’s all” (Ecclesiastes 12:13).
So, if your heart is longing for His presence but you feel that drift, don’t despair. That longing is God calling you. Cry out to Him. Ask Him to fan that flame of reverence again.
He will do it. He wants you not just safe, but walking close, beholding His beauty, lost in wonder at who He is.
May the Lord bless you today and fill your heart afresh with the fear of the Lord, that holy awe that draws you nearer to Jesus every day.
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