The kind of fear God desires to be a continual emotion within His people is like an AWESOME AWARENESS; like a full, consuming knowledge of His great POWER, His great ABILITY, His great HOLINESS, His great WISDOM, His great PURPOSE in our lives – and that He is the altogether RIGHTEOUS JUDGE! The fear of the Lord is REVERENCE for the Lord. It is profound respect mingled with awe, affection, and veneration. It is reverential trust with hatred of evil. Thus we read:

“The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever” (Ps. 19:9)
“The fear of the Lord is to hate evil” (Prov. 8:13)
“The fear of the Lord is strong confidence” (Prov. 14:26)
“The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life, to depart from the snares of death” (Prov. 14:27).
“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge” (Prov. 1:7)
“The fear of the Lord tendeth to life” (Prov. 19:23)
“The fear of the Lord is the instruction of wisdom” (Prov. 15:33)
“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom” (Ps. 111:10).