The Lord favors those who fear and worship Him with awe-inspired reverence and obedience,
Those who wait for His mercy and lovingkindness. Psalm 147:11 (Amplified)

…The Lord’s delight is in those who fear him,
those who put their hope in his unfailing love. Psalm 147:11 (NLT)

The fear of God is often misconstrued to mean something entirely unintended in Scripture – that of being afraid. Fear is something not simply discouraged but prohibited. We are not to fear anything nor anyone. Knowing that we have a God who is good is the key to living fearlessly.

So what does the fear of the Lord mean? It’s an important question to ponder, because it is those who fear God that get his attention. He “delights” in them. A deeper peek into the Hebrew word used here is helpful and even, well, delightful. One interpretation says, “To delight in the appearance.” In other words, when God sees his child who worships Him and whose thoughts of Him are reverent and loving, His heart melts with joy.

We met a new grand-niece for the first time on Christmas Day. We were entirely enraptured with her darling little face, cute little toes, long, slender baby fingers… It was such a joy to see her parents and grandparents and great-grandparents delight in her as they held her, studied her, stared at her, and delighted in her.

And that is how God feels about His children who love to sing His praise, those who believe in His goodness, those who trust His promises, and those who allow His presence into their lives. Those are the ones who get his attention. Do you need God’s loving attention today? Pray this plain and simple prayer:

Father,

I thank you that you are not a God who ignores me nor looks the other way when I have a need. I ask that you would teach me what it is to follow who with reverence. Give me greater understanding that you are not an angry God. You are kind and good and loving. I need to receive your love today, so open up my understanding and teach me to worship you and to live a life that is reverently attentive to you. Thank you that you delight in me. I will ponder this truth gratefully all day, praising you as I do. Attend to my prayers and to my needs, Father, as I present them to you with gratitude in my heart. 

Amen