“The secret of the Lord is with those who fear Him, and He will make them know His covenant” (Psalm 25:14).

In previous devotionals we have reviewed how the fear of God is the compelling motivation for living a holy and godly life for His glory. It is the source of wisdom and understanding for knowing Godʼs will. The fear of God supersedes knowledge, intellect and human reasoning for guiding our lives and appropriate decision-making. It is also a deterrent to evil as our reverence for and submission to a sovereign God makes us accountable in doing only that which would please and be glorifying to Him.

The Bible reminds us that the fear of God gives meaning and purpose to life. It gives us the boldness and confidence we need to face lifeʼs challenges. God has promised protection and every provision for our needs when we fear the Lord. But there is a greater impetus for fearing God than all the benefits that have been promised to us–it is a personal intimacy with God Himself.

“Who is the man who fears the Lord? He will instruct him in the way he should choose. His soul will abide in prosperity, and his descendants will inherit the land. The secret of the Lord is for those who fear Him, and He will make them know His covenant. My eyes are continually toward the Lord” (Psalm 25:12-15).

God does not glibly reveal His will and speak to those who take lightly their walk with the Him. He does not entrust His power to those who are undisciplined in character and integrity. He does not prosper the affairs of those who have not dedicated the work of their hands to Godʼs glory. But to those who fear the Lord He promises an intimate relationship in which God reveals Himself and instructs every decision. One may not prosper materially and be successful by the worldʼs criteria, but his soul will prosper in a life that is satisfied and characterized by abiding peace and joy.

Not only that, but the person who fears the Lord has assurance of an abiding legacy that transcends his lifetime in descendants that will carry on the blessing and lives that honor God with all its accompanying reward. But the ultimate clincher is the fact that God reveals the secrets of His heart to those who fear the Lord!

It is awesome to realize that oneʼs intimacy with God can be such that God reveals the secrets of His heart–the deep, spiritual realities that most never comprehend. He enters into a covenant relationship with the person that has such a reverential awe, obedient respect and worshipful submission to God. This is a relationship that only a few Biblical heroes of faith ever experienced.

The key to walking in the fear of the Lord is revealed in the conclusion of this passage when the Psalmist says, “My eyes are continually toward the Lord.” When one experiences this kind of intimacy with God, you are mindful of Him constantly in every situation. Nothing can distract you from the awareness that His eye is upon you. And there is nothing that can cause you to do anything in attitude or behavior that would be displeasing to Him.