DEVELOP YOUR HEART TO FEAR JEHOVAH - Happy Is Everyone Fearing Jehovah

From the foregoing, we can see that fear of God is a wholesome attitude that all of us should cultivate, since it is a fundamental part of our worship of Jehovah.  It leads us to trust him implicitly, to walk in his ways, and to cling to him.  As was true of Jesus Christ, fear of God can also move us to fulfill our dedication vow now and for all eternity.

Godly fear is never morbid, or unduly restrictive.  "Happy is everyone fearing Jehovah, who is walking in his ways,"  the Bible assures us.  (Psalm 128:1) Jehovah encourages us to fear him because he knows that this quality will protect us.  We note his loving concern in his words to Moses:  "If only they [the Israelites]  would develop this heart of theirs to fear me and to keep all my commandments always, in order that it might go well with them and their sons to time indefinite!" -Deuteronomy 5:29.

Similarly, if we develop our heart to fear God, it will go well with us.  In what ways?  First of all, such an attitude will please God and will draw us close to him.  David knew from personal experience that "the desire of those fearing him he will perform, and their cry for help he will hear, and he will save them."  (Psalm 145:19) Second, godly fear will benefit us because it will affect our attitude toward what is bad.  (Proverbs 3:7) The following article will examine how this fear  safeguards us from spiritual danger, and it will review some Scriptural examples of men who feared God and turned aside from bad. 

Next time: FEAR JEHOVAH AND KEEP HIS COMMANDMENTS

The Watchtower, 2001