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The Fear Of The Lord, part four

Proverbs 1:7 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge,
but fools despise wisdom and discipline.

Didn’t we read last week that the fear of the Lord was the beginning of wisdom? And now we’re reading that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge?

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of many things. You can build a strong, rich faith when you start on the foundation of the fear of the Lord.

Knowledge is a key ingredient to a rich and full life, but you must mix it with plenty of wisdom and discipline. Stir well. Let it bake in the presence of the Lord until done. Then serve.

Building on top of the fear of the Lord is easy because he gives us the ingredients and the tools we need. You can build a tall wedding cake that won’t topple if you’ll just receive from the one who has all knowledge.

Fear the Lord. Respect his ways. When he gives you something, ask him to teach you how to use it. Remain willing to learn, and be amazed at how well he teaches.

The Fear Of The Lord, part three

Ps 111:10
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom;
all who follow his precepts have good understanding.

We admire those who are wise among us. Most of us want to be thought of as wise. But where do we go to get more wisdom when we run out?

We go back to the basics.

The fear of the Lord is the beginning or the foundation of anything good. You build on top of a healthy respect for God. Once that foundation has been laid, the steps toward wisdom can begin.

Wise people have understanding. The truly wise have been following the precepts or laws of God. His precepts were laid out for us long before we were here. It’s our job to find them, read them, follow them. God is the one who grants us the understanding.

If we desire wisdom and understanding, we must look closely at the word ‘beginning’. When we acknowledge that God is to be feared with a deep reverential respect, we begin the development of wisdom in us. It grows like a seed. Unseen, but active.

Our consistent attitude of obedience to God’s laws and our consistent fear of the Lord feeds the growth of wisdom. Over time, the fruit of our consistency is visible and useful.

Another verse that comes to mind – and fits well with the above – is Proverbs 13:10. “Pride only breeds quarrels, but wisdom is found in those who take advice.”

Fear God and let his guidance rule in your life, and then wisdom will grow.

The Fear Of The Lord, part two

Psalm 130:3-4
If you, O Lord, kept a record of sins,
O Lord, who could stand?
But with you there is forgiveness;
therefore you are feared.

For many of us, the weight of sin is heavy. It burdens our walk with undue strain.

We don’t need to walk through our lives under the heavy burden of sin. Not when God is standing by, waiting to forgive. He wants to lift our load, but we hold on to it. We struggle and wonder why life is so hard.

For those of us who have allowed God to take away our sins, it’s like an enormous boulder has been lifted off our backs. I can straighten up. I can walk upright. I can dance in the presence of the Lord who has freed me.

If God took an accounting of our sins by watching us try to manage under the weight of it, no one could walk. We couldn’t even stand. We wouldn’t be able to lift the load from each other because our own load would be too much for us to even move.

But God forgave us. He took the sins of the whole world on himself.

That’s a lot of weight. But he’s God, and he can manage it. He threw the whole package into Hell where it belonged. That’s why God is feared.

He did what no one else could. He is respected for his awesome power to lift our sins and destroy their hold on us. God is feared because of his desire to remove the sins that we committed against him, knowing we would sin again.

When we see that God doesn’t number, categorize, record, and store up our sins, his love is revealed. When we see that his forgiveness is sure, we gain a deep reverential respect for God called, the fear of the Lord.

The Fear Of The Lord, part one

Proverbs 14:26
“He who fears the Lord has a secure fortress,
and for his children it will be a refuge.”

Developing a relationship with God is a construction project. It goes slowly, brick by brick. One day you’ll look up to see how much you’ve contributed to the relationship and find that God has contributed too.

As you work at your relationship, you find that there’s more to it than you first assumed. It’s more than just work or responsibility. It’s actually fun.

Maybe time gets away from you during prayer. You stop looking at your watch to make sure you spend enough time praying. Soon, you have to set a timer to make sure you leave the place of prayer to get your other duties done. When you realize that you’re not focused on one little brick anymore, your construction project takes on new meaning. It’s bigger than you thought it could be. It isn’t just a brick wall; it’s a fortress.

While you work on this fortress, you might find your hidden wounds are being healed. God is a great healer. You can trust him with all the secret places of your heart. Building a relationship with God is a blessing that brings deep joy. A joy that heals places only God could touch.

God blesses the efforts of the humble and diligent. It’s hard to build a secure fortress when all you do is talk about it and plan it. Those who put in the work, get to see the finished product.

I’m in the habit of sharing my faith in God with my children. I’ve prayed with them and for them. I won’t be holding their hands for the rest of their lives, so I’ve done what I could to point them to the one who will be with them forever. My relationship with God shows them that God is consistent. He’s constantly with us. My hope is that anyone who watches me will see God.

Your relationship with God will be evident even to your children. So keep working on the most fulfilling construction project you will ever work on.

Keep seeking God.