In other blog articles, I have written that I believe the best definition of the fear of the Lord involves three things.
The person who fears the Lord lives in a love relationship with God. In that relationship, the person humbly listens to God for their assignment in life. Then, the person follows the Lord’s directions.
Malachi teaches that not only do we listen to the Lord, but He also listens to us. As the Lord listens to us, He takes note of us and writes down our name.
Then those who revered the Lord spoke with one another. The Lord took note and listened, and a book of remembrance was written before him of those who revered the Lord and thought on his name.
They shall be mine, says the Lord of hosts, my special possession on the day when I act, and I will spare them as parents spare their children who serve them (Malachi 3.16-17).
I think I know a lot of people by name. However, sometimes someone will come up to me and say, “Do you remember me?” And I will say, “I remember your face, but I can’t remember your name.”
Not only does God remember the face of every human on earth, but He also knows our name, our hopes, our dreams, our desires, our hurts, our pains, and everything about us.
Not only does He know about us, but He also cares for us as the best loving Father can do.
Personal Application
As we examine the tremendous blessing that God bestows upon those who live in the fear of the Lord, let’s ask a couple of questions to apply this to our lives.
(1) How do we personally cultivate a loving relationship with God?
What are some ways we can actively listen for God’s guidance? Do we understand the importance of a love relationship in understanding and embracing our unique assignment from God?
How does a personal relationship with God influence our willingness to follow His directions?
(2) Meditate on the fact that God not only knows each of us by name but is intimately aware of our hopes, dreams, desires, hurts, and pains.
How does this knowledge impact our view of God as a loving Father?
Think of a time when you experienced God’s care in a personal way and realized the deep knowledge He has of you.
How does this understanding of God’s love and care for us encourage you to speak and live in reverence of Him?
(3) Malachi highlights that God listens to those who revere Him and records their names in a book of remembrance.
Are you like me, possibly realizing for the first time that God listens to us? Based on our words, He has a response to who we are.
In what ways does God remembering us make a difference in how we live our lives in service to Him?
How does the promise of being God’s special possession on the day He acts inspire you to live a life that honors Him?
YouTube Video
Rudy Ross and I discussed this passage on YouTube today. It is on the Bob Spradling channel.
Real Voices 