He who fears the Lord has found grace before God, and the Lord will
listen to his requests. The will of them who fear Him shall He do, and their
supplication shall He hear, and the Lord shall save them (Ps. 144:19).
When the sun’s rays enter through a window, they light up
everything in the home and enable us to see even the finest particles of
dust. Similarly when the fear of God makes its way into the heart, it reveals
to a person all of his sins.
The fear of God, being sacred and holy, is dispassionate and poses
no threat or harm. St. Gregory the Theologian says the following
concerning the fear of God: “Where there is fear, there is keeping of the
commandments. When one keeps the commandments, there is
purification. Where there is purification, there is enlightenment.”
The fear of God fills the heart with a certain spiritual joy and
jubilation. The fear of God is a divine gift because it is one of the seven
gifts of the Holy Spirit (Isa. 11:3), and it dwells in the pure heart. With
respect to our interaction with others, the fear of God is made manifest as
love, righteousness, and compassion for our fellow man. The Holy
Scriptures state that the man who fears God is righteous. The wise Sirach
refers to the fear of the Lord as a “crown of wisdom” that springs forth
peace, healing, and health (Sirach 1:15).
Blessed is the man who fears the Lord! (Ps. 111:1).
—by St. Nektarios—
