“The Attitude of Fear” (Ready to Worship S10E4)

September 13, 2019

Ready to Worship Season 10, Episode 4 for Friday, September 13, 2019

On this season of Ready to Worship, we are examining the attitude that we are to have in worship. It is not enough to have the right actions. Our attitudes must match. In this podcast, we are examining the attitude of fear. In the Fifth Psalm, David declared, “But as for me, I will come into thy house in the multitude of thy mercy: and in thy fear will I worship toward thy holy temple” (Psa. 5:7). The words that begin David’s statement, remind us of the words of another great man of God. No doubt, you recall the words of Joshua: “And if it seem evil unto you to serve the Lord, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord” (Josh. 24:15). No matter what others decided, Joshua made the decision to serve the Lord and David made the decision to worship the Lord. Joshua was going to serve in sincerity and in truth and David was going to worship in mercy and in fear. Since we are studying fear, we are going to focus on David’s statement. At least six times in the Psalms, mercy and fear appear together. The mercy of God made it possible for David to draw near to God. The fear of God made it possible for David to stay there. Worship requires fear or reverence. Later, in the Psalms, we read, “God is greatly to be feared in the assembly of the saints, and to be had in reverence of all them that are about him” (Psa. 89:7). Please note that God is greatly to be feared. A great God, like our God, is deserving of great fear or reverence. Not only does our God deserve our fear, He delights in it. In the One-Hundredth and Forty-Seventh Psalm, we read, “The Lord taketh pleasure in them that fear him, in those that hope in his mercy” (Psalm 147:11). Because God delights in fear and mercy, He blesses those who approach Him in that way. We read, “Behold, the eye of the Lord is upon them that fear him, upon them that hope in his mercy” (Psa. 33:18; 103:11, 17; 118:4). As we get ready to worship this week, let’s be thankful for the door that mercy has opened. Then, let’s enter into God’s presence with reverence and godly fear.