DEVELOP YOUR HEART TO FEAR JEHOVAH - "To Him You Should Cling"

"To Him You Should Cling

Reverential fear of God and acute awareness of his awesome power are precursors of trust and confidence in Jehovah.  Just as a young child feels protected when his father is near, so we feel secure and confident under Jehovah's guiding hand.  Note how the Israelites reacted after Jehovah led them out of Egypt:  "Israel also got to see the great hand that Jehovah put in action against the Egyptians; and the people began to fear Jehovah and to put faith in Jehovah."  (Exodus 14:31) Elisha's experience also testifies to the fact that  "the angel of Jehovah is camping all around those fearing him and he rescues them."  (Psalm 34:7; 2 Kings 6:15-17)  the modern-day history of Jehovah's people and likely our own personal experience confirm that God does exercise his power in behalf of those who serve him.  (2 Chronicles 16:9) Thus we come to appreciate that "in the fear of Jehovah there is strong confidence." -Proverbs 14:16.

Wholesome fear of God not only fosters trust and confidence in him but also motivate us to walk in his ways.  When Solomon inaugurated the temple, the prayed to Jehovah:  "May [Israel] fear you by walking  in your ways all the days that they are alive upon the surface of the ground that you gave to our forefathers."  (2 Chronicles 6:31) Earlier, Moses urged  the Israelites:  'After Jehovah your God you should walk, and him you should fear, and his commandments you should keep and to his voice you should listen, and to him you should cling."  (Deuteronomy 13:4) As these verses clearly show, the desire to walk in Jehovah's ways and to "cling" to him comes from trust and confidence in God.  Yes, godly fear leads us to obey Jehovah, to serve him, and to cling to him, just as a young child may literally cling to his father in whom he has implicit trust and confidence. -Psalm 63:8; Isaiah 41:13.

Next time: DEVELOP YOUR HEART TO FEAR JEHOVAH -To Love God Is To Fear Him

The Watchtower, 2001