“And great fear came upon the whole church and upon all who heard of these things.” Acts 5:11
When was the last time you were really scared? What happened?
In today’s text, we see the people responding to what happened to Ananias and his wife in a distinct way. It says “great fear” came upon them. It was probably something like the feeling a child gets while watching his mom or dad discipline a sibling. It’s a time to be serious, not silly, quiet, not loud and crazy.
The word “fear” carries different connotations, and when the Bible speaks about it, it usually means something more like the word reverence.
Can you imagine meeting the president of the United States? Do you think you would run up to him and slap him on the back to say hi? Of course not. If you met the president, you would act in a certain manner because of who he is. You would be showing him a proper reverence that befitted the position.
So when the Bible says we should “fear” God, it means we should revere him by showing him honor and respect because we recognize how wonderful and powerful he is. In today’s text, we see Jesus’ first followers demonstrating this principle, and it was very honoring to God.
Read
- What do we receive when we fear the Lord?
- Why do you think this is the case?
- Why is the fear of Lord important?
Pray
Our Father, thank you that you have revealed yourself to us. May we approach you in ways that honor you. You are a truly awesome God, and we stand in awe of who you are and what you have done. Amen.
This devotion is our last one from the Acts Study Guide for the year! Stay tuned next spring when Pastor Mark will pick up the book again, starting in Acts 5:12–42.
