What does it actually mean to fear God and why does Scripture call the fear of the Lord the beginning of wisdom?
In this episode, Grant and Kat explore one of the most important—and often misunderstood—realities of the Christian life: the fear of the Lord.
The fear of God is not the tormenting fear that drives us into anxiety, bondage, or hiding. It is a holy reverence and awe that comes from seeing God rightly: He is completely holy, completely good, worthy of our worship, deserving of our obedience, and unlike anyone or anything else. The fear of the Lord doesn't push us away from God—it draws us toward Him and teaches us how to live rightly before Him.
And here's the problem: we were created to fear God, but when our fear is placed anywhere else, it becomes misplaced fear. Fear of people, rejection, circumstances, the future, the enemy, or spiritual darkness will eventually become a source of bondage, pain, and suffering. But when the fear of the Lord takes its rightful place, every other fear begins to lose its power.
Grant and Kat unpack the biblical difference between holy fear and tormenting fear, share personal experiences of encountering God's holiness, and explore how the fear of the Lord impacts wisdom, spiritual authority, obedience, and even the way we approach healing and deliverance.
Using Proverbs 2:1–6 as a roadmap, they also walk through practical ways believers can actively seek, receive, and cultivate the fear of the Lord—through humility, treasuring God's Word, prayer, and intentionally seeking Him.
In this episode:
- The difference between the fear of the Lord and tormenting fear
- Why God's goodness and holiness must be understood together
- What happens when our fear becomes misplaced
- Why Jesus Himself delighted in the fear of the Lord
- How the fear of God produces wisdom, safety, and spiritual authority
- Proverbs 2:1–6 as a roadmap for receiving the fear of the Lord
- Practical ways to cultivate reverence and awe for God
- How the fear of the Lord changes the way we approach spiritual warfare and deliverance
The fear of the Lord draws us toward God, not away from Him. It is not something to avoid—it is a treasure to be sought after.