May 18

I will make an everlasting covenant with them: I will never turn away from doing good to them, and I will put My fear in their hearts, so that they will never turn away from Me. — Jer 32:40 BSB

The fear of God, springing up in a believing soul and sustained by Christ as the covenant Head, produces the effect of abiding in Him. We cannot turn away from Him because the fear of God is in our hearts. This is why it is called "a fountain of life to depart from the snares of death." If it is a fountain of life, it must be fed by Him who is life itself. As it leads us away from the snares of death, it draws us closer to Him as these snares are broken and left behind.

When we examine the movements of godly fear in our hearts, we see that all its tendencies are toward life and its Source. It inclines us toward a hatred of sin, a love of holiness, a desire for heavenly realities, and a deadness to the things of this world. It leads us to know Christ more intimately and to long to live for His glory, walk in His footsteps, and be conformed to His suffering image.

None of these things can be produced without union with Christ and abiding in Him. The fear of God helps us remain in this abiding. As soon as the fear of God begins to fade in our souls, we start to withdraw from Christ and experience a gradual decline in our communion with Him.