I was awakened today by the words O FEAR THE LORD, so I started looking in the Bible for where that phrase is, and found it in Psalm 34:
Psa 34:1  I will bless the LORD at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth.
Psa 34:2  My soul shall make her boast in the LORD: the humble shall hear thereof, and be glad.
Psa 34:3  O magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt his name together.
Psa 34:4  I sought the LORD, and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears.
Psa 34:5  They looked unto him, and were lightened: and their faces were not ashamed.
Psa 34:6  This poor man cried, and the LORD heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles.
Psa 34:7  The angel of the LORD encampeth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them.
Psa 34:8  O taste and see that the LORD is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him.
Psa 34:9  O fear the LORD, ye his saints: for there is no want to them that fear him.
Psa 34:10  The young lions do lack, and suffer hunger: but they that seek the LORD shall not want any good thing.
Psa 34:11  Come, ye children, hearken unto me: I will teach you the fear of the LORD.
Psa 34:12  What man is he that desireth life, and loveth many days, that he may see good?
Psa 34:13  Keep thy tongue from evil, and thy lips from speaking guile.
Psa 34:14  Depart from evil, and do good; seek peace, and pursue it.
Psa 34:15  The eyes of the LORD are upon the righteous, and his ears are open unto their cry.
Psa 34:16  The face of the LORD is against them that do evil, to cut off the remembrance of them from the earth.
Psa 34:17  The righteous cry, and the LORD heareth, and delivereth them out of all their troubles.
Psa 34:18  The LORD is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit.
Psa 34:19  Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the LORD delivereth him out of them all.
Psa 34:20  He keepeth all his bones: not one of them is broken.
Psa 34:21  Evil shall slay the wicked: and they that hate the righteous shall be desolate.
Psa 34:22  The LORD redeemeth the soul of his servants: and none of them that trust in him shall be desolate.
    There is altogether too little fear of the LORD these days.  Why, the way some people act, the LORD is their fishing buddy, or their servant who fetches them whatsoever they want, anytime they want it.  Hey God!  Give me_____(you fill in the blank).  This needs to stop!  We’re not dealing with our next door neighbor; we are dealing with God Almighty.  You know, GOD?  the one described as the Creator of the universe, who inhabits eternity, who, at His rebuke the mountains melt??  Yeah, THAT God.
    We have altogether corrupted ourselves with serving the “Big 3”: that is, Me, Myself, and I.  Please notice we have five vowels in our alphabet: A,E, I, O,U. And “I” appears at the center of them, so we tend to think “I” is also the center of the universe, excuse my grammar.

    God made it real clear in the Ten Commandments who is in charge, and who we should fear and hold in awe.  And obey: oh yes, don’t forget “obey”, for they are not the “Ten Suggestions”.  In case we have forgotten those commandments, here is a refresher:
Exo 20:1  And God spake all these words, saying,
Exo 20:2  I am the LORD thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.
Exo 20:3  Thou shalt have no other gods before me.
Exo 20:4  Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth:
Exo 20:5  Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me;
Exo 20:6  And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments.
Exo 20:7  Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain; for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.
Exo 20:8  Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.
Exo 20:9  Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work:
Exo 20:10  But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates:
Exo 20:11  For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.
Exo 20:12  Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.
Exo 20:13  Thou shalt not kill.
Exo 20:14  Thou shalt not commit adultery.
Exo 20:15  Thou shalt not steal.
Exo 20:16  Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour.
Exo 20:17  Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour’s house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour’s wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbour’s.
Exo 20:18  And all the people saw the thunderings, and the lightnings, and the noise of the trumpet, and the mountain smoking: and when the people saw it, they removed, and stood afar off.
Exo 20:19  And they said unto Moses, Speak thou with us, and we will hear: but let not God speak with us, lest we die.
Exo 20:20  And Moses said unto the people, Fear not: for God is come to prove you, and that his fear may be before your faces, that ye sin not.

    You see, friends, where there is no fear of God, there is no fear of consequences for choices made.  How can we say we truly have a relationship with God when we don’t fear Him enough to keep His commandments?  After all, they are not for HIS good, but for ours, that we may live long, healthy, peaceable, and prosperous lives.
   There are those who contend the Lord Jesus did away with those laws.  Not so, in fact I give you His own words:,
Mat 5:17  Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.
Mat 5:18  For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.
Mat 5:19  Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
Mat 5:20  For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven.

 It is written in Proverbs 1:7;  The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction. 
    I said all that to say this: God is gracious and merciful and causes all grace to abound toward those who FEAR HIM AND OBEY HIM.  And though He causes His rain to fall on the just and the unjust, His blessings are for those who love and obey Him.  Go back and look at all the wonderful promises in Psalm 34.  They are to benefit those who fear Him.  Does that mean you are to be afraid and terrified of God?  Yes and no….yes if you insist on being disobedient to Him, but no if you love and serve Him with a willing heart.  In fact, if you love and fear God, you will never be judged, for the blood of Christ Jesus removes your sin, just as if they were never committed in the first place.
    Many cry out to God when they’re in trouble, but have no intention of serving God or loving Him.  You may fool me, but you won’t fool God, for He knows the intents of the heart.  Many say they love the LORD, but that love is only for as long as everything is going their way.  Now, I can’t find anywhere in God’s Word where He promises us life with no problems, but for those who fear the LORD, they will be delivered out of all their troubles.  How many is ALL?  I dunno, how many can you get into?
    Let me tell you, I fear the LORD.  I also fear to think what my life would be like right now without His hand being upon me, for He has delivered me out of everything the devil has thrown at me.  I love the LORD, because I found out He first loved me, even in spite of my sins.  Oh, that doesn’t mean He intended for me to remain living in sin, but rather, He gave me a way out of sin, into a whole new life that was no longer centered on “me, myself, and I”.  Does the LORD answer my prayers and fill my life with good things?  Absolutely.  Why?  because He loves me.  Why? I dunno, why don’t YOU ask the LORD why He loves YOU? 

   You will find that everything the LORD does, He does for your benefit, to make your life here on earth blessed, and your “retirement plan” even BETTER!    But you’ll never get to square one if you don’t fear and respect the Lord.  Does that mean you need to “keep His commandments”?  Yes, that’s what separates the “SAINTS” from the “AINTs”.  What makes you think you can show the LORD you fear Him, by acting like a heathen and saying His commandments are no longer in effect?  I’m telling you this, not to put you in bondage, but to deliver you from bondage.  Just look at all the LORD does for those in Psalm 34 who fear Him.  Don’t you think a GOD who loves you that much deserves your utmost respect and obedience?
   Please, don’t think God is your personal servant, for indeed we are HIS servants.  Yeah, I know, we don’t act like it most of the time, do we?  But we can start now, forgetting our past mistakes, and pressing into the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.  Indeed, there is offered unto us an opportunity for a new life in Christ Jesus, one in which we need never again fear what the devil has plotted against us.  Hellfire and brimstone and fiery judgment from God need never worry us if we fear the LORD, for as a father spares the son he loves, so we will be spared from judgment, and upon the end of our life here on earth, will be passed from death unto eternal life. 
   The Lord Jesus had a lot to say about the “Kingdom of heaven”, His kingdom, where He rules, and He is preparing a place for US to dwell forever with Him.
Mat 18:1  At the same time came the disciples unto Jesus, saying, Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?
Mat 18:2  And Jesus called a little child unto him, and set him in the midst of them,
Mat 18:3  And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.
Mat 18:4  Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven.

    It’s awfully hard to humble yourself if you are the center of your universe. On the other hand, if the fear of the LORD is the center of your universe, and you obey His Word, all blessings await you.  It really all boils down to this: Who do you fear, give worship to and hold in awe? you and your way of doing things, or the LORD?  Remember, it isn’t me you need to please.  I’m going to fear the LORD and serve Him with gladness and spend forever with Him, whether you do or not.  But I’d sure like to see you there and praise the LORD with you!