Our previous meditation demonstrated two adverse effects of fear. It can demobilize creative enterprises as well as obstruct our walk with God. However, is there any way by which fear can be put to positive use? Absolutely! When God is made the object of our fear it becomes positive and rewarding. To be sure, the fear of the Lord is not known by smooth talks and pious resemblance. Essentially, it manifests itself in abstention from evil. Appropriately, the scripture says that by the fear of the Lord, people depart from iniquity.

“The fear of the Lord operates just in the same way as love… If you truly fear the Lord, you will not go about doing things that will grieve His Spirit. “

The other side of the coin is that the fear of the Lord compels positive actions. So on the one hand it restrains, and on the other hand it releases one to positive actions. Obadiah demonstrated both. His fear of God withheld him from joining forces with Ahab when he slew the prophets. He also hid 100 of them in two caves and provided sustenance for them. The fear of the Lord operates just in the same way as love. We don’t prove our love to anybody by confessing it; it is by refraining from hurting the ones we love and doing something special for them. If you truly fear the Lord, you will not go about doing things that will grieve His Spirit.