Fearing God-The Definition

"The Fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge"

 Proverbs 1:7                              

Yesterday, I wrote about what fear of the Lord is not.  That post begs this post.

What does it mean to fear God?

There are two Hebrew words used when writers talked about this fear in the Hebrew Bible (our Old Testament). One means "the fear of being before a superior kind of being. Usually it is used to describe the reaction evoked in men by God's mighty works of destruction and sovereignty." The other communicates a reverence. (Vine's Expository Dictionary, pg 80)

Reverence here is the ticket, and I think that most of us would quickly come to this word when talking or answering questions about what it means to fear God.

But I don't know that I really understand what reverence means.

Merriam-Webster defines reverence as a "profound adoring awed respect." 

So fearing the Lord is a deeply humbled worshipful respect of Who God is and what He can do. Holy reverent fear produces a quiet heart not a worried one. It makes us knell and produces gratefulness and peace. This type of fear can also hold us back from sin. It can make us tremble, not because we are scared, but more because we are overwhelmed with how GREAT our God is.

This definition makes me wonder who and what I do revere. Who's life, who's presence, who's work makes me feel adoration and respect. How often do I feel this when I'm spending time with God? Is this reverence rooted in my love for Him?

What do you revere? What humbles you about Who God is?