A few weeks ago we looked at Psalm 111 and 112, which shows how the character of God is shaped in the man who begins with a fear of the Lord. We saw how worshiping God and studying his works lead to this character formation. What we didn’t discuss much is what this term “fear” means. How do you begin life with this biblical “fear” of the Lord? What does that mean?

While this psalm doesn’t use the word “fear,” it does call for trembling before the Lord. Of all the meanings of the word “fear”, tremble is perhaps the most basic. To say the beginning of wisdom is the fear of the Lord is a call to tremble before Him. There isn’t enough trembling before the Lord in the church today.

Why do I say that? Because the lives of people in the church are often similar to the lives of people outside the church. God has become something “tacked-on” to the life you’ve already chosen to lead. In other words, many in the church fear the same things that many outside the church fear, and those fears shape their lives. Things such as the fear of losing reputation; the fear of not having enough money to pay your bills; the fear of not fitting into your peer group; the fear of failure. These things often drive people to make the choices they make. If you fear failure, you might not try. If you fear not having enough money, you may become a workaholic. If you fear not fitting in with one group, you may adapt to fit into another.

The Bible tells us to begin with a fear of the Lord. That means, at the very least, you are to tremble before Him. Jesus said it bluntly,

And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell. (Matthew 10:28)

This psalm shows how even the earth trembles at the presence of the Lord. If the earth, notably the sea, rivers, and the mountains tremble before the Lord, shouldn’t you?