On A Holy Fear, Giveaway Opportunities, and More

In A Holy Fear: Trading Lesser Fears for the Fear of the Lord, I explore the covenant name of God: the LORD. I explain what it means and why it is so significant. As the most used name for God in the Bible, it is important that we understand it. In the context of the book, understanding this name helps us learn to fear him. And when it comes to the fears of life, the name of God reminds us that he is our place of safety.

As I thought and dwelled on God’s name, and as I studied the topic of the fear of the Lord, I wrote a poem, which is found at the start of the book.

Safe in Him, Our Tall Tower

“The name of the LORD is a strong tower; The righteous run to it and are safe” (Proverbs 18:10).

When fear rolls in like a storm cloud
and overshadows my mind,
I freeze and cower like a prey,
My thoughts jumbled and confined

I quit before I ever start;
the journey is danger-filled—
all the unknowns, risks, and what if’s—
Life pauses at a standstill

I live an observer of life,
watching time pass on by me
while my fears consume and control
How I long to be set free!

Then I open your Word and read
of One good and full of grace
The Great I Am who keeps and saves
and calls me before his face

He rules and reigns over all
None can thwart his will and plan
All creation bows before him—
none can snatch me from his hand

Before him all fear fades and shrinks
at Yahweh’s might and power
When we fear him above all else,
we’re safe in him, our tall tower

Where to Find the Book

A Holy Fear released last week on Amazon and immediately sold out. But never fear (see what I did there?), there are additional places you can find it.

Westminster Bookstore has a great deal going on right now for A Holy Fear (40% off!). Click here to learn more.

You can also order it from the publisher here.

Christian Book Distributors also carries it.

Want to learn more? Here are a few opportunities:

Are you a podcast listener? Listen in to my conversation with Theology Gals about A Holy Fear. Click here.

Did you read the excerpt of A Holy Fear at The Gospel Coalition? Click here to read.

I wrote a piece for A Beautiful Christian Life on how we can grow in our fear of the Lord. You can read that here.

Here’s a video in which I talk about the book. Click here to watch.

But above all, I don’t want you to miss this:

***I am running giveaways over on my Facebook Page and on Instagram (@christinarfox). Hop on over and leave a comment to enter for a chance to win a copy of A Holy Fear.

Reflections on My Own Fear

As a writer, I often have the opportunity to live out what I write about— to practice what I preach, so to speak. It is where what I say I believe is put to the test. This happens in countless small ways, as well as in big, life changing moments.

With my new book, A Holy Fear: Trading Lesser Fears for the Fear of the Lord, coming out, I recently had the opportunity to face my fears up close and apply what I wrote in the book. A couple of weeks ago, I was t-boned by a drunk driver. It was terrifying. There is no other word for it.

As a result of the accident, the traffic was backed up so much, my husband could not come from home to be with me at the accident scene. My son was able to park nearby and he drove me home. As he drove, I kept saying, “I could have died. I could have died.”

He responded, “Mom, God is in control. He didn’t want you to die, so you didn’t.”

Given the speed of the driver and the circumstances, it still amazes me that I walked away from the accident without any major injuries, or worse. But it shouldn’t amaze or surprise me, given what I know to be true about the God who rules over all things.

My son’s quick response has stayed with me the past two weeks. I’ve mulled over it. I’ve repeated it to myself. What I said to him the night of the accident was not true; I simply could not have died because God did not will for me to die at that intersection. One of my friend’s uses the phrase “the school of God’s sovereignty” to describe life lessons learned about our sovereign God. It’s a good phrase and one which describes well the training I’ve received in recent weeks. This training has pointed me to the God who alone knows the number of my days.

The point of A Holy Fear is to direct the gaze of fearful hearts—including my own!—away from our lesser fears and upward to the holy One seated on his throne. To see the One who is wholly other; the One who rules over all. To marvel at the One who flung the stars across the galaxy, who scatters the frost like ashes, and who numbers each hair on our head. To be wonderstruck that such a One would set his love on us and make us his own. To glory and savor his generous love and grace poured out on us in Christ. To prostrate our hearts before him in utter amazement that he would welcome us into his presence. And as a result, to see him as greater than all that we fear, including death itself.

For he is greater.

A Holy Fear is about the fear of the Lord, but this fear is not like the fear I felt when the truck struck my driver’s side door and pushed me across the road. It’s not like the fear we’ve felt all year in the face of a pandemic. It’s not like the fear we’ve felt as we’ve looked ahead to an unknown future. This fear is a fear rooted in awe, wonder, reverence, adoration, and trust. It is a fear born out of love—the love of a child for a Father. It’s a fear which C.H. Spurgeon said was shorthand for “expressing real faith, hope, love, holiness of living, and every grace which makes up true godliness.”

These past couple of weeks I’ve been relishing these truths afresh. I’ve been enjoying the sweet taste of God’s grace for me. And learning anew what it looks like to face my own fears with a holy fear— the fear of the One who is greater.

Want to learn more about what it means to fear the Lord? You can find my new book here.

The Three Kinds of Fear

When I was a child, there was a song titled “One of These Things is Not Like the Other.” It was sung as a kind of game to teach children to identify what makes things the same and what makes them different. Often there was a photo of three or four items and the child had to choose which one did not belong with the others.

This is true with the word “fear” in the Bible. God’s word talks about three kinds of fear, but one of them is unlike the others.

Fear in the Bible

For those familiar with the Bible, it is common knowledge that “do not fear” is a frequent command found throughout Scripture. This command is often found in the context of divine revelation, such as when God’s people were called to fight a battle or when a prophet warned of pending punishment for sin. This command was intended to comfort God’s people and to encourage them to trust in him. One such example is when Moses led God’s people through the Red Sea:

“And Moses said to the people, “Do not be afraid. Stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD, which He will accomplish for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall see again no more forever” (Exodus 14:13).

When the Bible says, “do not fear,” the word fear refers to terror or panic. There are two types of this fear in Scripture. The first kind is often called “natural fear.” It’s the kind of fear that comes naturally to humans in a post-fall world. We live in a world where there are natural disasters, pandemics, losses, violence, political upheavals, and more. We all know what it’s like to approach a dangerous situation and our heart starts pounding and our adrenaline spikes. We quickly move ourselves to a place of safety. Natural fear gets us to run out of a burning building or find safe shelter in a thunderstorm. Natural fear is something even our Savior felt as he faced the cross that was to come (see Luke 22:39-46).

The Bible also mentions another kind of fear and this is the kind of fear that rules over us. It governs our choices and directs our path. It’s the kind of fear that becomes a pattern and ready response to the circumstances of our life. This kind of fear is sinful fear because it keeps us from trusting in and depending on God. We instead turn our gaze to the troubles around us, rather than to the One who rules over all things. We often seek out false saviors to rescue us from our fears, including our own strength and wisdom, rather than God.

We see an example of such fear in Exodus 32, when the Israelites feared that Moses would not come down from the mountain where God was giving him the Law. Instead of waiting for his return, they built a golden calf to worship. We also see the Israelites fearing other nations that were seemingly bigger and stronger than they. When the spies were sent into the land of Canaan to assess what was there, all but two of the spies returned with a fearful report about giants in the land (Numbers 13). The Bible also talks about the fear of man, as when Peter refused to eat with the Gentiles because he feared what the Judaizers thought of him (Galatians 2:11-13).

A Greater Fear

There is a third kind of fear in the Bible and this fear also comes with a command: fear the Lord. “Oh, fear the LORD, you His saints! There is no want to those who fear Him.” (Psalm 34:9) Yet the word “fear” in this context does not refer to terror or panic, but to awe or reverence…to read the rest of this post, visit enCourage.

To listen to the accompanying podcast with enCourage, click here.

A Prayer for Greater Fear

My book, A Holy Fear, releases a month from now. I’m knee deep in preparations for its delivery into the world— working with the launch team to get the word out about it, as well as sending out articles, and recording podcast interviews. And in the midst of all this busyness, I feel that all too familiar emotion creep in: fear.

I find myself thinking, “What if I fail? What if what I’ve written falls flat? What if no one reads it? What if no one understands what I was trying to communicate? What if they hate it? What if…?” Perhaps you are familiar with these fears, those emotions which appear when you’ve completed something you’ve labored hard at producing. Or when you share something you’ve created with others. Or when you invite someone in to see your inner thoughts, longings, hope, and dreams.

As I face these fears— the fear of failure and the fear of man— the irony does not escape me that my book is about fear and turning from those fears to a greater fear, the fear of the Lord. And here I am facing my own lesser fears! All too often, I have to apply the very things I write about to my own life; I have to preach the same truths to my own heart.

That’s what I’m doing today as I pray this prayer for a greater fear. Perhaps you’ll pray too?

A Prayer for Greater Fear

Father in heaven,

I come before you with a heart all twisted around with nerves and worries and fears. My mind is distracted by all the what if’s of life. My lesser fears are dragging me down places I know I should not follow. So I come to you, my Father, and seek refuge in you.

Your Word tells me not to fear. It teaches me that my identity and meaning are not found in what people say or think about me. It’s not found in how affirmed I am. It’s not found in whether or not I succeed at something. Who I am is inexorably linked with who Christ is for me. I am your child. I am in the beloved. The smile of your affection shines upon me. This amazing and glorious truth stills and calms my heart. I am yours and you are mine. What wonder!

You’ve also taught me to fear you—not in the same way that I fear failure or what other people think—but to honor and revere you. To come into your presence with awe and wonder. To respond with love, trust, and obedience. To see that you are greater than all that I fear.

Because you are greater. You are the One who is wholly other. You stand apart from everything else. Nothing and no one can compare with you. You are holy, righteous, and good. You alone are sovereign over all things. You alone know the end from the beginning and hold the world in the palm of your hands. You alone know the number of hairs on my head and the length of my days.

And yet.

And yet, you’ve made me your own. You chose me in love before the foundation of the world. You made a way for me to be your child through the perfect life and sacrifice death of your Son on my behalf. He removed the barrier of sin that kept me from you. I can now come before you in confidence and seek your help and grace. I can call you Abba, Father, and you hear me. What grace!

Hear me now as I bring this prayer before you. Forgive me for looking for life and meaning outside of you. Forgive me for my lesser fears. Forgive me for the ways I seek my own glory, rather than yours. Forgive me for not trusting you, but allowing my fears to distract me from you.

I pray you would develop in me a greater fear of you. As John Bunyan wrote, “Pray therefore that God will unite thy heart to fear his name; this is the way to grow in the grace of fear.” I pray you would work in my heart and strip away my lesser loves. Make my heart a place where the fear of you grows and thrives. I pray that I would love, honor, revere, trust, and obey you above all else. I pray you would grow greater in my eyes. I pray I would find refuge in who Christ is for me, that I would keep the gospel ever before me. I pray that your extravagant grace and love for me would cause my lesser fears to shrivel and shrink in comparison.

Keep my gaze fixed on you this day.

In Jesus’s name, amen.

Join the Launch Team for A Holy Fear

Calling all book lovers! I’d love for you to join the launch team for my next book: A Holy Fear: Trading Lesser Fears for the Fear of the Lord.

Do you have fears in your life? Have you ever wondered why the Bible says both “do not fear” and “fear the Lord?” Have you wondered just what it means to fear the Lord and what this fear looks like in the Christian life?

Join the launch team for A Holy Fear to read the book before anyone else. On the launch team’s Facebook page, I’ll share insights from the book and talk about what you are reading. I’ll provide fun challenges and ideas on how to help get the word out about the book. There will even be giveaways to enter!

Here’s what a couple of readers have said about A Holy Fear:

“This book couldn't have come at a better time. Every day, we wake up to news reports and social media posts that fill our hearts with fear. Our neighbors are worried about finances, health, safety, and security. We are too. Thankfully, Christina Fox redirects our hearts in the pages of this book. Rather than fearing the daily worries of life in a fallen world, she tells us, we need to cultivate a holy fear of the eternal God who rules the universe. Only in rightly fearing God will we find rest from all our other fears. And, in fearing God, we will find abundant life. With rich theology, careful Bible exposition, and helpful study questions, A Holy Fear will lead you by the hand to the place of safety and security we all desire.” —Megan Hill, author of A Place to Belong: Learning to Love the Local Church, editor for The Gospel Coalition, and pastor's wife

“Christina Fox invites readers to tread upon holy ground agape with wonder for the utter perfection of God's nature. But the author doesn't stop there; she leads God-fearers from the glorious summit to practical daily life. Be aware: A Holy Fear will shrink your lesser fears to give birth to profound adoration and worship of the magnificent One who made us for His possession. Shoes are optional for this transformative pilgrimage led by a fellow traveler.” —Leslie Bennett, Director of Women's Ministry Initiatives, Revive Our Hearts

Have any friends you think might want to join you on the team? Send them here to this post.

To join the launch team, click here. Fill out the information form and you’ll receive an email with additional information and instructions and a pdf of the book to read. Have questions? Leave a comment below. I look forward to seeing you on the launch team!

A Sneak Peak at My New Book

I’m excited to tell you about my next book coming out this fall titled, A Holy Fear: Trading Lesser Fears for the Fear of the Lord.

One of the things I love most about writing books is the opportunity it provides for me to dig deep into a topic. To sit with one subject for a while and explore all its layers. To follow the likely questions that the topic lends itself to asking and see just where they lead. And to thumb the pages of Scripture to see all the ways it covers the subject.

The process always changes me. No matter what I think about the topic before I start, I’m always surprised by what I learn along the way. And even after I finish the writing, I continue to learn and grow from what I’ve studied. I am always thankful for the opportunity and love sharing what I’ve learned with others.

So, why did I pick this subject?

I’ve long wanted to learn more about the fear of the Lord. It’s a frequent phrase found throughout the Bible. It’s a command for believers to obey. It’s an inherent and foundational practice to what it means to be a Christian and for our relationship with the Lord. But just what does the fear of the Lord mean? In writing this book, I wanted to unpack the fear of the Lord and provide for myself, and my readers, a richer understanding of this fear.

I understand what fear is, for I have many fears. But what does it look like to fear the Lord? How is it different than the terror I felt when I once lost my son at the San Diego Zoo? Or when we heard my husband might lose his job? Or when a virus crept its way across the globe and flipped all our lives upside down? Why does the Bible teach us to turn from our other fears to the fear of the Lord? What does this fear look like lived out in our life? What are the benefits and fruits and promises for those who fear God? I explore these questions and more in A Holy Fear.

A Holy Fear includes a study guide for individual and group use with passages to study and questions to discuss. And guess what? It’s available for pre-order now.

Here’s what a few readers have said about the book:

“As human beings we all have our fears and are all motivated by our fears. In their own way our fears drive us and direct us. What Christina Fox does so well in this book is address the facts of our fears, diagnose the source of our fears, and prescribe the solution to our fears. As you read her book you will come to see that the cure to our fears is fear, for the problem at the heart of each human being is not that we fear, but what we fear. Or, better said, it's who we fear.” —Tim Challies, blogger, Challies.com

“In our modern vernacular, fear of the Lord sounds anything but good. It doesn't sound life giving. It evokes thoughts of cowering in dismay in the shadow of something terrible. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, so it's gravely important for believers to understand what God does, and does not, mean by the phrase. Christina leads us through Scripture to understand the phrase as God uses it. Christina is an able guide, and the reader will benefit from her thoughtful and thorough look at Scripture on fearing the LORD.” —Wendy Alsup is a mom, math teacher, and author of Companions in Suffering: Comfort for Times of Loss and Loneliness, IVP 2020

”During a trial or challenging moment, we rarely take the time to analyze the fear underneath our anger, frustration, or anxiety. But if we were to place these lesser fears next to a greater fear of the Lord who has promised His presence, then that would be a trajectory changer. A Holy Fear provides that needed biblical perspective. Its pages are filled with a gospel primer to fight our lesser fears and replace them with a fear of the Lord that leads to walking in wisdom.” —Karen Hodge, Coordinator of Women s Ministries for the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA) and author of Transformed: Life-taker to Life-giver and Life-giving Leadership

Want to join a launch team to help get the word out about the book and read it before anyone else? Stay tuned for details on how to join! In the coming weeks I will post a link on how to join, what to expect, and how you can help. P.S. There will be fun giveaways!