A BENEFIT OF HOLY FEAR

I have seen men mightily used by God's Spirit, who were later put on the shelf by Him. Yehovah basically told them: I can no longer allow you to represent me. 

To me, this is one of the most dreadful things that could ever happen. It happened to Saul, the king of Israel. “Samuel said to Saul, ‘You have done foolishly. You have not kept the commandment of Yehovah your God, that He commanded you. Yehovah would have established your kingdom over Israel forever. But now your kingdom shall not continue…” (1 Samuel 13:13-14, NKJV). What sad words!

God basically told the king, “Saul, you could have had my blessings in your life continually. I had great plans for you, but you wouldn’t deal with your sin. You became bitter and hardhearted.” That’s the end result when you continue in sin. You become barren and fruitless.

The word declares: “The fear - reverence of Yehovah is a fountain of life, to turn one away from the snares of death” (Proverbs 14:27). 

The fear -reverence of Yehovah is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction. (Proverbs 1:7)

Those who desire to walk in deep reverence - fear of Yehovah - God will be led into the full revelation of the promises and provisions that He has made available for them.

Perhaps Yehovah - God is dealing with you about your sins right now. He has shot His arrows of conviction in your heart. Don’t panic! That’s a gift from Yehovah - God. He’s planting His enabling power in you, teaching you that: “Only through  a holy fear - reverence of Him will you depart from your sins.”

What exactly does it mean to walk in reverence - fear of Yehovah? In part, it means reminding yourself of His warnings. It means allowing His Spirit to bring your sins out into the open for you to acknowledge and cast aside. It means to be in a totally committed walk of obedient faith before Him. In doing this, He will lay the foundation enabling you to fulfill every one of His commands and promises, as you walk before Him in obedient faithfulness.

The book of Acts tells us, “Then the called-out Assemblies throughout all Judea, Galilee, and Samaria had peace and were edified. And walking in the reverence - fear of the Lord - Yehovah and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, and they were multiplied” (Acts 9:31).

Do you see the writer’s point here? As these first-century Christians walked in the fear of Yehovah - God, they received the indwelling empowerment of His Holy Spirit to do His will and were multiplied. We can come to know the same indwelling empowerment of His Spirit also and draw others to want what we have been freely given by our God and Father Yehovah.

Written by David Wilkerson (1931-2011) and edited and added to by Bruce Lyon

What a tremendous reminder and encouragement David Wilkerson has given us in this article.