We began this journey by asking a simple question:
What does it mean to fear the Lord?
Over six weeks, we have seen that holy fear is not terror.
It is reverence.
Honor.
Awe.
Humility.
Trust.
Obedience.
It is the settled recognition that God is God and we are not.
And Scripture repeatedly shows that this posture produces real fruit in the lives of those who walk in it.
Week Six brings the entire study together by looking at the treasure's benefits.
The Fear That Reorders Other Fears
We live in a world filled with fear.
Fear about the future.
Fear about health.
Fear about finances.
Fear about children.
Fear about rejection.
Fear about culture.
Fear about what we cannot control.
Holy fear does not deny that danger, uncertainty, suffering, or loss exist.
It changes which fear has the greatest authority.
“The Lord of hosts, Him you shall hallow; let Him be your fear.”
Isaiah 8:13When God carries the greatest weight, lesser fears lose some of their power to govern us.
The fear of the Lord puts every other fear back into perspective.
Holy Fear Produces Confidence
“In the fear of the Lord there is strong confidence.”
Proverbs 14:26At first, fear and confidence sound like opposites.
But biblical fear is different from panic.
Holy fear anchors confidence in God rather than in ourselves.
We do not have to believe:
“Nothing difficult will ever happen.”
Instead, we can believe:
“Whatever happens, God remains God, and I belong to Him.”
That is a deeper confidence than circumstances can provide.
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego
Daniel 3 gives us one of Scripture's clearest pictures of fear being reordered.
Three men stood before the most powerful ruler in their world.
The threat was real.
Bow or burn.
Yet they refused to worship what God had forbidden.
Their confidence was not built on knowing exactly how God would respond.
They believed God was able to deliver them.
But even if He did not, they would not worship the idol.
Holy fear does not always remove danger. It can remove danger's authority over our obedience.
Paul's Perspective on Life and Death
The apostle Paul expressed a similar freedom.
“For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain.”
Philippians 1:21Paul's life was not free from suffering.
Yet even the threat of death could not control his loyalty to Christ.
When God is ultimate, even our deepest human fears are placed beneath His lordship.
Fear Reveals What We Are Still Trying to Control
Persistent fear can sometimes reveal an area we are still trying to own.
Our family.
Our reputation.
Our future.
Our health.
Our security.
Our plans.
This does not mean every anxious feeling is evidence of spiritual failure.
But fear can become an invitation to ask:
“Have I entrusted this part of my life to the lordship of Jesus?”
The Most Important Thing
The second movement of Week Six turns to wisdom.
“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.”
Proverbs 9:10Scripture places an extraordinary value on wisdom.
Wisdom is more than intelligence.
More than education.
More than experience.
Biblical wisdom is the ability to see life from God's perspective and choose what is faithful, good, and true.
Holy fear is the starting place of godly wisdom.
Why Does Wisdom Begin with Fear?
Because wisdom begins with the proper order of reality.
God is Creator.
We are creatures.
God sees completely.
We see partially.
God knows the end from the beginning.
We often do not know what tomorrow will bring.
When we fear the Lord, we stop treating our own perspective as the highest court of appeal.
We become teachable.
Wisdom begins when we trust God's wisdom more than our own.
Wisdom Protects Us from Hidden Traps
“The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life, to turn one away from the snares of death.”
Proverbs 14:27A trap works because it is hidden.
If destruction always looked destructive, very few people would choose it.
Temptation usually presents itself as something desirable.
Convenient.
Pleasurable.
Reasonable.
Harmless.
Holy fear gives us a reference point outside ourselves.
God's wisdom can warn us away from a path before we see where that path ends.
The Fear of the Lord Becomes a Counselor
Proverbs also connects the fear of the Lord with the instruction of wisdom.
That means reverence for God continually asks:
“What has God said?”
Not merely:
“What feels right to me?”
Or:
“What is everyone else doing?”
Or:
“What produces the quickest benefit?”
Holy fear keeps bringing us back to God's wisdom. For a practical framework for applying Scripture, prayer, wisdom, counsel, circumstances, and trust when making decisions, see How Do I Know and Follow God's Will?
Grace and Holy Fear Work Together
Grace does not train us to ignore God's wisdom.
Grace teaches us to leave what destroys and live in a way that honors God.
“The grace of God... teaches us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly.”
Titus 2:11–12Grace and reverence are not competitors.
Grace brings us near.
Holy fear teaches us how to live near.
Guard the Treasure
We protect what we consider valuable.
Money.
Property.
Important documents.
Relationships.
Health.
Scripture calls us to guard the heart with even greater seriousness.
“Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it spring the issues of life.”
Proverbs 4:23Holy fear is a treasure worth guarding because it keeps our hearts oriented toward God.
A Summary of Benefits
Scripture associates the fear of the Lord with a remarkable range of blessings.
These passages are not a formula guaranteeing an easy or trouble-free life.
Faithful people still suffer.
Jesus did.
The apostles did.
But taken together, these Scriptures show the kind of life holy fear cultivates: a life anchored in God's wisdom, presence, protection, direction, confidence, fruitfulness, and hope.
Wisdom
“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.”
Proverbs 9:10Holy fear makes us teachable.
It places God's wisdom above our own.
Knowledge and Discernment
Proverbs also calls the fear of the Lord the beginning of knowledge.
Reverence helps us evaluate life according to what God calls true rather than merely what appears attractive.
Confidence and Security
Scripture connects holy fear with strong confidence.
Our security moves away from perfect circumstances and toward the character of God.
Freedom from Being Ruled by Fear
When we fear God, fear of people, fear of bad news, and fear of the future lose the right to dictate our obedience.
Turning Away from Evil
“By the fear of the Lord one departs from evil.”
Proverbs 16:6Holy fear makes sin less casual.
It helps us recognize destructive paths before they become deeply rooted.
Life
“The fear of the Lord leads to life.”
Proverbs 19:23God's wisdom is not designed to shrink life.
It leads us toward the life our Creator knows is good.
Intimacy with God
“The secret of the Lord is with those who fear Him.”
Psalm 25:14Week Five showed us that reverence prepares the heart for deeper fellowship. If you want to revisit that relationship between holy fear, friendship, and drawing near to God, return to Intimacy with God .
Holy fear and friendship with God belong together.
Direction
Psalm 25 describes God teaching those who fear Him the path they should choose.
Reverence creates teachability.
Teachability makes us more ready to receive God's direction.
Joy
Psalms 112 and 128 connect the fear of the Lord with joy and delight in walking in God's ways.
Holy fear is not meant to create a grim Christian life.
It frees us from the exhausting task of making ourselves the center of everything.
Fruitfulness
Scripture repeatedly associates life under God's wisdom with fruit that lasts.
Work.
Relationships.
Character.
Influence.
Legacy.
Holy fear aligns life with the One who understands what produces lasting fruit.
Hope
“Be zealous for the fear of the Lord all the day; for surely there is a hereafter, and your hope will not be cut off.”
Proverbs 23:17–18Holy fear gives us an eternal horizon.
It reminds us that present circumstances are not the whole story .
The Treasure Is Not the Benefits
There is an important danger at the end of a study like this.
We can begin wanting the benefits more than the God who gives them.
Wisdom.
Protection.
Direction.
Confidence.
Intimacy.
Fruitfulness.
These are gifts.
But God Himself remains the treasure.
Holy fear is valuable because it keeps our hearts centered on the One who is worthy.
The Most Important Question
After six weeks, the question is no longer simply:
“Do I understand the fear of the Lord?”
The deeper question is:
“Am I learning to live in the fear of the Lord?”
Does God's holiness shape my worship?
Does His approval matter more than human approval?
Does His Word carry authority?
Do I obey when obedience costs something?
Am I pursuing holiness?
Am I drawing near to God with both confidence and reverence?
Is holy awe becoming a way of life?
Six Weeks in One Movement
Week One — Behold God with Holy Awe.
Week Two — Allow His Holiness to Reveal You.
Week Three — Pursue a Life that Reflects His Holiness.
Week Four — Give His Word the Weight It Deserves.
Week Five — Draw Near in Reverent Friendship.
Week Six — Treasure the Fear of the Lord and Walk in Its Wisdom.
Carry Holy Awe into Everyday Life
The study ends, but the practice continues.
Holy fear belongs in ordinary moments.
Before a decision.
During temptation.
In worship.
In conversation.
In conflict.
In success.
In disappointment.
In private.
In public.
In every circumstance, the question remains:
“What would honor God here?”
A Question Worth Asking
Think back over the entire series.
What has God emphasized most strongly to you?
A casual attitude that needs to change?
A fear that needs to be surrendered?
A habit that needs to be removed?
An act of obedience that needs to be completed?
A false view of God that needs correction?
A deeper hunger to know Him?
A decision that requires wisdom?
“What would it look like for holy awe to become a lasting pattern in my life?”
Reflection
Take some time with these questions:
- What fear currently has the greatest tendency to compete with my trust in God?
- Where do I need God's wisdom most right now?
- Has this study changed the way I understand the phrase “fear of the Lord”?
- Which benefit of holy fear has become most meaningful to me, and why?
- Is there an area where I know God's Word but still need to act on it?
- What practice will help me continue cultivating holy awe after this study ends?
Complete the Week Six Study Guide
You have finished the final teaching in The Awe of God. Now take time to review the key Scriptures, identify the fears that need to be surrendered, reflect on the benefits of holy fear, pray, and choose one lasting practice that will help reverence for God continue shaping your life.
Begin the Week Six Study Guide →