Stand in Awe - The Fear of the Lord - Sermon 4/8

Oct 25, 2026

Devotional

Day 1: The Lion’s Unshakable Foundation in Shifting Times

When life feels unstable, God’s character remains a fortress. Isaiah 33:6 paints Him as a “sure foundation” and a “rich store” of salvation, wisdom, and knowledge—treasures unlocked only by holy fear. Like Aslan in Narnia, God is both awe-inspiring and good, a lion whose power demands reverence but whose goodness invites trust. To fear Him is to anchor in His unchanging nature when circumstances shift like sand. This fear isn’t terror but a sober recognition of His holiness and a choice to build life on His promises. [00:49]

“He will be the sure foundation for your times, a rich store of salvation and wisdom and knowledge; the fear of the Lord is the key to this treasure.”
(Isaiah 33:6, ESV)

Reflection: What area of your life feels most unstable today? How might anchoring in God’s unchanging character reshape your perspective?

Day 2: Cutting the Robe’s Edge: When Conviction Overrides Opportunity

David’s hand trembled not from weakness but from holy fear. Though he had every worldly reason to kill Saul in the cave, he refused to harm “the Lord’s anointed.” His restraint revealed a heart shaped by reverence for God’s authority over human ambition. The fear of the Lord transforms motives, turning even small acts (like cutting a robe) into moments of spiritual clarity. It asks not just “What can I do?” but “Who do I honor?” [15:06]

“David arose and stealthily cut off a corner of Saul’s robe. Afterward David’s heart struck him, because he had cut off a corner of Saul’s robe. He said to his men, ‘The Lord forbid that I should do this thing to my lord, the Lord’s anointed, to put out my hand against him.’”
(1 Samuel 24:4–6, ESV)

Reflection: When have you faced a “cave moment” where ambition clashed with conviction? How did holy fear—or the lack of it—shape your choice?

Day 3: Searching the Cave of the Heart: Inviting God’s Scrutiny

David didn’t flinch from asking God to search his darkest corners. Psalm 139:23–24 reveals a man who welcomed divine scrutiny, knowing God sees motives others miss. Holy fear isn’t hiding—it’s inviting the Lion to expose what’s hidden, trusting His goodness even in correction. Like light in a cave, God’s gaze purifies what it illuminates. [22:38]

“Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting!”
(Psalm 139:23–24, ESV)

Reflection: What “innermost part” of your heart have you been hesitant to bring before God? How might His loving scrutiny bring freedom?

Day 4: Undivided Heart, Whole Number Living

Integrity isn’t perfection—it’s consistency. Psalm 86:11 pleads for an “undivided heart,” a life where public and private selves align. Like an integer (a whole number), holy fear unites fractured motives into single-minded worship. It’s the difference between performing for others and living before the God who sees every hidden thought. [32:10]

“Teach me your way, O Lord, that I may walk in your truth; unite my heart to fear your name.”
(Psalm 86:11, ESV)

Reflection: Where do you feel most divided between outward actions and inward motives? Ask God to unite your heart around fearing Him alone.

Day 5: Trembling Partnership: God Works, We Respond

Salvation is both gift and journey. Philippians 2:12–13 marries holy fear (“work out your salvation with fear and trembling”) with divine empowerment (“God who works in you”). Like David relying on God’s Spirit to resist Saul, we partner with a power beyond ourselves. Fear here isn’t anxiety but awe—a recognition that the Almighty is actively shaping us. [33:47]

“Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.”
(Philippians 2:12–13, ESV)

Reflection: How does recognizing God’s active work in you transform “trembling” from dread to holy anticipation?

Sermon Summary

The fear of the Lord is a treasure, not a negative thing to escape. Isaiah calls it the key to God’s rich store of salvation, wisdom, and knowledge. Like Aslan in Narnia, God is good, but he is not tame. His graciousness, patience, and love do not cancel his holiness or his coming wrath. Holy fear holds those truths together. It produces obedience and trembling, but also friendship with God, confidence, and courage.

Holy fear also shapes motives, thoughts, words, and actions. Jeremiah describes God putting this fear into human hearts so that his people do not turn away from him. This inward change cannot be manufactured. God gives it by grace, and its effects reach from the heart into everyday choices.

David’s restraint toward Saul shows what that looks like. A defenseless enemy in a cave looked like the perfect opportunity to end years of running and take the throne. But David saw the Lord’s anointed, not merely an obstacle. Even cutting Saul’s robe troubled his conscience. The issue was not just what David did, but why he did it.

The Psalms carry that concern deeper. God already knows every hidden thought, yet David welcomes his searching and asks for correction. Being scared because God knows everything is not the same as fearing him. Holy fear asks God to shape what he sees. It also tests speech, since truth can become a weapon and flattery can help someone avoid sin.

The fruit is godly integrity: a whole person, the same in public and private. Paul joins the call to work out salvation with fear and trembling to the assurance that God is working within believers. God does the miracle; believers act it out. An undivided heart learns his ways, receives his correction, and lets reverence shape even the way another person is seen.

Key Takeaways

1. God’s goodness does not erase holiness. God is gracious, slow to anger, and rich in love, yet he remains a consuming fire. Holy fear refuses to make his goodness an excuse for treating him casually. The same God before whom believers tremble gives them confidence and courage against other fears. [05:10]
2. An opportunity is not automatic permission. Saul’s helplessness looked like David’s chance to end his suffering and claim the throne. David’s fear of God kept relief and ambition from deciding what was right. His restraint shows that getting a desired outcome cannot justify an action that dishonors God. [16:52]
3. Holy fear welcomes God’s searching work. Awareness that God knows every thought can produce fear without producing surrender. David goes further by welcoming God’s examination and asking him to expose and change what is offensive. Holy fear does not merely admit that nothing is hidden; it desires a heart that pleases the God who sees everything. [25:53]
4. Faithful speech requires more than accuracy. A statement can be true and still be spoken to put someone down. Flattery can sound kind while helping another person avoid facing sin. The fear of the Lord examines both the words and the reason behind them, making God’s pleasure more important than winning approval or landing a blow. [28:59]
5. An undivided heart grows into integrity. Integrity means being whole rather than becoming a different person in each setting. God’s constant presence makes private conduct just as significant as public conduct. As God works within believers, their responsibility is to act out that work with fear and trembling, learning to honor him consistently. [33:24]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[00:22] - Holy Fear as a Treasure
[01:34] - Aslan and the Goodness of God
[05:30] - Obedience, Trembling, and Confidence
[07:49] - God Shapes the Heart Within
[10:12] - David and Saul: Two Different Fears
[13:31] - David Spares Saul in the Cave
[19:29] - Examining Actions and Motives
[20:46] - Psalm 139: Welcoming God’s Search
[26:26] - Psalm 19: Words That Please God
[30:41] - Integrity and an Undivided Heart
[33:04] - Working Out What God Works Within
[35:56] - Seeing Others Through Holy Fear
[37:49] - Prayer for an Undivided Heart
[39:14] - Closing Worship

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading

Psalm 86:11
“Teach me your way, O LORD, that I may walk in your truth; unite my heart to fear your name.” [37:00]

1 Samuel 24:1-7
“When Saul returned from following the Philistines, he was told, "Behold, David is in the wilderness of Engedi." Then Saul took three thousand chosen men out of all Israel and went to seek David and his men in front of the Wildgoats' Rocks. And he came to the sheepfolds by the way, where there was a cave, and Saul went in to relieve himself. Now David and his men were sitting in the innermost parts of the cave. And the men of David said to him, "Here is the day of which the LORD said to you, 'Behold, I will give your enemy into your hand, and you shall do to him as it shall seem good to you.'" Then David arose and stealthily cut off the corner of Saul's robe. And afterward David's heart struck him, because he had cut off a corner of Saul's robe. He said to his men, "The LORD forbid that I should do this thing to my lord, the LORD's anointed, to put out my hand against him, seeing he is the LORD's anointed." So David persuaded his men with these words and did not permit them to attack Saul. And Saul rose up and left the cave and went on his way.” [13:31]

Philippians 2:12-13
“Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.” [33:04]

Observation questions

In 1 Samuel 24:1–7, how do David’s men view Saul’s arrival in the cave, and how does David’s response differ from theirs? [14:44]
What troubles David’s conscience after he cuts Saul’s robe, and what does he do to keep his men from going further? [15:06]
In Psalm 86:11, what does David ask God to do in his heart, and how is that connected to the way he wants to live? [32:02]
In Philippians 2:12–13, what responsibility does Paul give believers, and what does he say God is doing within them? [33:24]

Interpretation questions

Why is Saul’s vulnerability not enough to make attacking him right? How does David’s view of Saul help him recognize the difference between an opportunity and God’s permission? [17:05]
Why might cutting Saul’s robe trouble David even though he stops short of harming him? What does this reveal about the importance of motives, not just outward actions? [19:45]
How does David’s request in Psalm 86:11 go beyond simply asking for better behavior? What might a divided heart look like in someone who honors God in one setting but ignores him in another? [32:14]
How does Philippians 2:12–13 guard against both trying to change without God and waiting passively for God to do everything? [34:15]

Application questions

God’s goodness does not cancel his holiness. Which truth do you find easier to keep in mind, and how might overlooking the other affect a choice you are facing? [05:16]
Have you faced an opportunity to get something you wanted by doing something you knew would displease God? What helped—or could have helped—you pause rather than justify it? [18:22]
God already knows your thoughts, but holy fear welcomes his correction. Is there a recurring attitude or motive you would like him to expose and change? What might responding to that correction look like this week? [25:53]
Think about a recent conversation when you wanted to win an argument, put someone down, or avoid an uncomfortable truth. What was driving your words, and what could you say differently to please God rather than gain approval or land a blow? [28:55]
Where do you notice the biggest gap between your public and private life—perhaps at work, at home, online, or when you are alone? As you ask God for an undivided heart, what is one practical step toward greater consistency? [37:29]
Is there someone you have begun to see mainly as a problem or obstacle? How might remembering that this person bears God’s image change your thoughts, words, or next interaction, without excusing any wrongdoing? [36:27]

Sermon Clips

53s

#IntegrityBeforeGod

“God has to give us this undivided heart that fears him, and when he does that, we have integrity. We we are the same person always. And that person is somebody who honors God, who worships God. Not just when people are watching, but in private. Why? Because we just read it in the Psalms, God knows it all. So you can't go into your room and hide and act like what you do there is not seen by somebody. God sees, he knows. We might be able to fool people some of the time, right? We can even fool ourselves, but you can't fool God ever. He sees it all.”

43s

#LetGodShapeYou

“Because the fear of the Lord is more than just recognizing God sees everything and knows everything and he's all powerful. You have to add this next part, which is this, and this is what you're gonna write in your notes. It is asking to shape those things. Not only does God know it, fear of the Lord says, Okay, God, now shape it. Shape my heart, and my motives, and my thoughts. That's a fear of the Lord. And David desired that. Change my heart, God. Shape my heart. That's a fear of the Lord.”

45s

#ChooseGodOverCompromise

“Have you ever found yourself in a situation where you had the opportunity to get what you wanted, but it would have required you to justify some kind of action that you knew displeasing to God? You knew it, and you could have gotten it. And what did you do? I can tell you, brothers and sisters, in all honesty, I have failed that test in my life before. And David, he failed that test multiple times. Yes, he passed it right here with Saul, praise God. But David didn't always pass that test.”

44s

#ConvictionOfTheHeart

“Why are we doing it? Was it a grievous sin for David to cut off the corner of someone's clothes? To the human eye, it's like, dude, What? Why are... Why does that convict you, David? Because it was the motive. It was the motive that convicted David. His heart wasn't right, and he knew it. And that's why after he did it, he was like, Oh, man, nope. I'm not doing it. I'm not going to go against the Lord's anointed. Forgive me, father. He's your anointed. I want that kind of conviction in my life. I want that fear of the Lord.”

36s

#GodSeesEverything

“God knows it all. There's nothing in your heart that you can hide from God. Those thoughts you had this morning, he knows them. The words you said yesterday, he knows them. What you're gonna say tomorrow, he knows it. That's both comforting and fear inspiring, at least is for me. Because I know my own heart. I know the kind of things that go on in there. And it's laid out bare for my God to see all of it. And David knows that.”

36s

#ChooseGodsWay

“Do we have that kind of discernment where we're given this opportunity and our heart is so convicted that we choose to fear God instead of doing whatever seems right to us in the moment. That is why we need to grow in this fear of the Lord. We have to, because we all fail. David grew in his fear of the Lord as well.”

49s

#SpeakTruthInLove

“We can say the truth and do it with a very wrong motive. We can say things that sound right, but with the wrong intention. We can say the truth just to hurt somebody. People do it all the time. Our motive could be, I just want to put this person down. So I'll say the quote unquote truth, but it does not please God. And there's times when we flatter people to make them feel better so they don't have to look at the sin in their life, and that's not pleasing to God. We should only worry or be concerned with pleasing our father with our words and not each other.”

46s

#SeePeopleAsGodSees

“David had every opportunity, at least it looked like according to the world's eyes, to just deal with matters in his own way. He could've. But he he allowed the fear of the Lord to shape his very thoughts, even the way he thought about Saul. He thought about Saul as the Lord's anointed. That's the way he thought about him. How do we think about each other? Do we have the fear of the Lord when we look at another person to say, he or she is made in the image of God? God made her. God made him. Is that how I think? Is that shaping the thoughts in my mind?”

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