Jeremy writes, “I know quite a bit about the fear of dying. Seven years ago . . .  I felt intense, sickening, dizzying, overwhelming fear when I was told I had incurable cancer.” But he learned to manage his fear by leaning on the presence of God and moving from his fear of death to embracing “the fear of the Lord.” To Jeremy, this means being in awe of the Maker of the universe who will “swallow up death” (Isaiah 25:8) while also understanding deep within that God knows and loves him.

The fear of the Lord—a deep respect and awe for our holy God—is a theme that runs throughout Scripture. King Solomon admonished his son to fear the Lord in his series of wise sayings, the Proverbs. He said that if his son would turn his “ear to wisdom” and “search for it as for hidden treasure,” then he’d “understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God” (Proverbs 2:2, 4, 5). Along with wisdom and knowledge, he’d find discretion and understanding (vv. 10–11).

When we face challenges of many kinds and experience a sense of dread and fear, we’re reminded of our limitations. But as we turn to God, asking Him to help us humble ourselves before Him and worship Him in reverence, we’ll find He helps us to move from being fearful to embracing a healthy fear of Him.