A Reason to Fear the Lord

Psalm 130:3-4
3If you, O Lord, should mark iniquities,
O Lord, who could stand?
4But with you there is forgiveness,
that you may be feared.

Many times and many ways we fear the Lord. Sometimes the fear is that He is so great and awesome that He is too much for us to comprehend. Awe is a good word for that. Sometimes the fear is that, the amount of power He holds can be scary in our perception. Sometimes we fear disappointing Him.

But in this passage we fear the Lord because He forgives our sins. Let that sink in. Have you ever considered "fear" when you think of God's forgiveness? I know I haven't, and that has probably been to my stumbling many times. What do you think of when you think of God's forgiveness? I'm not asking for an answer, but you may need to answer yourself. If "fear" is your answer, would the sins that trip you up be easier to forsake? Easier to hate those sins like God hates them?

Here is the challenge for you and for me. When you think about what Jesus did on the cross for you, and what His act means to your eternal life and your life today, fear the Almighty. Fear Him, because he forgave you of something that He absolutely detests. Fear the Lord because He forgave you.