FEAR YE, FEAR YE

“And now, Israel, what does the Lord, your God, ask of you but to fear the Lord, your God?” –Deuteronomy 10:12
“The Lord, your God, shall you fear, and Him shall you serve.” —Deuteronomy 10:20

If you go to church, you will usually be exhorted to love and serve the Lord (Dt 10:12). In a good church, you will even be told to love God “with all your heart and all your soul” (Dt 10:12) by keeping His commandments (Dt 10:13). However, there’s still something missing. Before we can love, serve, and obey the Lord fully, we must fear Him (Dt 10:12). The fear of the Lord is not only the beginning of wisdom (Ps 111:10); it is also the beginning of loving God with all our hearts.

When we were baptized and confirmed, we received the fear of the Lord. By a life of faith, we deepen our fear of the Lord as we are awed by His presence, love, and power. As we immerse ourselves more deeply in Scripture, we are moved to humbly tremble at His Word (Is 66:2). By grace, our delight becomes the fear of the Lord (Is 11:3). In the Spirit, a reverent fear can overtake us (Acts 2:43) to the point that we are submissive to each other (Eph 5:21). As we make “steady progress in the fear of the Lord,” we enjoy “the increased consolation of the Holy Spirit” (Acts 9:31), Who produces a great love in our lives (see Gal 5:22).

PRAYER: Father, renew my Baptism and Confirmation. May I fear You more deeply.
PROMISE: “He sends forth His command to the earth; swiftly runs His word!”–Ps 147:15
PRAISE: St. Teresa Benedicta, once a Jewish intellectual, surrendered her misconception about the Messiah, converted to the Catholic Faith, and joyfully followed Jesus as her Lord.