The Fear of the Lord

As I ponder what we do today under the guise of worship, I can’t help but confess that we are sorely and woefully falling short of being the kind of worshippers that Jesus said the Father is seeking. Those who call themselves “seasoned” or “mature” Christians seem to be incapable of worship without just the right atmosphere being set for them. The temperature must be perfect, the lights just right, and the music at a professional high level and of the tempo, volume, and genre most preferred by the “world of worship” must be prevalent. Even then the emotions must be just right, the mood socially unencumbered, and the attitude be set toward spiritual experience. Then, with all in place and the ambiance skillfully prepared, worship may occur. Can this really be what Jesus meant that the Father seeks?

It seems what is sadly missing from what we call worship today is the fear of God. That state of being astonished at the inconceivable elevation, magnitude, and splendor of Almighty God! Tozer once mused that “the last thing God desires is to have shallow-minded and worldly Christians bragging about Him.” Too few know of, consider, ponder, or reflect upon the greatness of God and because of that, our worship is shallow, impotent, and requires human design to produce even a cheap substitute for genuine worship. At issue is the fact that Christians today do not think great thoughts of God. They have lost what the Psalmist said was the blessing of all wisdom-the fear of God (Psalm 111:10).

Jesus said if we lack wisdom, we can ask God to give it to us and He will gladly oblige (James 1:5). May this be the prayer of every sincere believer: “God grant us wisdom that begins with a fresh awakening to Your awesome and holy majesty, a reverent fear in Your presence so that enraptured in our great thoughts of You, we may worship acceptably.”