The fear of God is a sacred feeling that fills the heart of him who has
come to know God and His divine characteristics.
The fear of the Lord is manifested as perfect love for God, as
devotion to Him, and as worship of the Divinity. He who fears God loves
God with all his heart, with all his strength, and with his entire mind. Such a
person’s heart has clung to the Lord, and he calls upon His name. God the
Lord is his boast, and He alone rules in his heart. Having devoted himself
completely to the Lord, he offers his heart to Him, and from the center of
his existence he worships Him. The law of God has become the law of his
volition, and he desires only what is virtuous, good, and perfect. His lips
ceaselessly praise the Godhead, and his heart glorifies the Lord. He sends
up unending doxology and thanksgiving to God, and he blesses Him with
his soul.
He who fears God has become pure in soul because the fear of the
Lord has cleansed his spirit. The fear of the Lord has sanctified his heart
and mortified his flesh by subjugating the carnal desires to the power of his
soul. The fear of God has become for him a teacher of wisdom and
prudence, and it has instructed him to understand what is true, what is
virtuous, and what is pleasing to God. The fear of the Lord has become for
him a fountain of life, and it will deliver him from the snare of death.
The Lord is the strength of them who fear Him, and His covenant
shall be manifested unto them (Ps. 24:14). The fear of the Lord is pure,
and it remains unto the ages of ages (Ps. 18:9). An angel of the Lord will
encircle them who fear Him and will deliver them from evil (Ps. 33:7).
—by St. Nektarios—
