Do you ever feel afraid?  Do certain things, circumstances, or people strike fear within you?

When you find yourself fearful – do you set up your surroundings in order to protect yourself?  Fear can lead to a negative or a positive emotion.  Fear is necessary for one to display courage.  “Courage is the willingness to act in spite of your fear.” Michael Hyatt.

Fear is defined by Meriam-Webster as an, “unpleasant often strong emotion caused by anticipation or awareness of danger.”  Another definition is, “profound reverence and awe especially toward God.”  I think we all experience fear to some degree in our lives.  I know when I’m out on a long bicycle ride the last thing I want to do is to experience a dog… that fear I have of being bitten can be overwhelming.  The fear I want to focus on today is the fear of God, “profound reverence and awe especially toward God.”

I’ve realized fear can be exhibited in a couple of ways.  One is the fear that leads to becoming self-absorbed… to the point of not being able to move (bondage).  The other fear is built on what I listed above, “profound reverence and awe especially toward God.”  This fear of God leads down the path of freedom.

I want to walk the path of freedom.  To choose freedom is to choose to trust God in all things.  It is reverence and awe I have for God that enables me to be able to lay down my fears on His altar.

Psalm 128:1-2, 4 in The Message states,

All you who fear God, how blessed you are! how happily you walk on his smooth straight road!2 You worked hard and deserve all you’ve got coming. Enjoy the blessing! Revel in the goodness! 4 Stand in awe of God’s Yes. Oh, how he blesses the one who fears God!

Choose today to stand in awe of God.  Take this moment now to thank Him for His goodness.  My prayer for you today is you will be amazed by God and that you will walk in great faith in His power.