The Bible talks a lot about the fear of the Lord. This afternoon I did some research…Check out these verses from the book of proverbs :
“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge” (1:7).
“To fear of the Lord is to hate evil” (8:13).
“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom” (9:10).
“The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life, turning a man from the snares of death” (14:27).
“Better a little with the fear of the Lord, than great wealth with turmoil” (15:16).
“Through the fear of the Lord a man avoids evil” (16:6b).
“Humility and the fear of the Lord bring wealth, honor and life” (22:4).
Fear…a lot of us hear that word and we don’t like it. I don’t like fear either, but need to understand what King Solomon is saying to us.
Fear of the Lord defined – Respecting and reverencing God. Giving God the glory, honor, reverence, gratitude, praise, and preeminence he deserves. God holds this preeminent position in our hearts and lives. We regard his desires over and above our own.
He is so great, He is so holy, He is so righteous, how can I not humble myself before him? How could I ever think that I know better than God?
This is why at the end of Solomon’s life he said in Eccelesiastes 12:13 – “Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: fear God and keep His commandments, for this is man’s all.”
As we read the Bible we see that the deepest, most life-shaping, practical daily motivation for every believer is the fear of the Lord. This is the calling on your life. This is the umbrella of protection over your life.
Let me give you a thought that will change your life…The fear of the Lord is meant to rule ever area of my life. When you get a chance, write that statement down so you can remember it.
• The fear of the Lord should be the reason why I surrender my thought life to God.
• The fear of the Lord should be the reason I treat my wife and children the way I do.
• The fear of the Lord is the reason I worship. It’s the reason I am in his Word every day.
• The fear of the makes me aware of my own sin and sensitive to the work of God in my own life.
• The fear of the Lord gives me courage to step out in faith for God.
• The fear of the Lord gives me wisdom when I simply do not know what to do.
When we have the proper awe, reverence, and respect for God in our lives we willingly say yes to living God’s way.
“When there is no awe of God in our lives, we quickly become in awe of ourselves.” If you are not living for God, the only alternative is to live for yourself.
The fear of the Lord is about humility. Humility is a proper attitude towards God. It is a recognition of his holiness and greatness.
James 4:6 - “God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble.”
Today’s Challenge: Let us raise our level of respect for God. When God sees it one way and I see it another way, God is right. Culture doesn’t define what is right - God defines what is right. Respect and revere God enough to allow him to lead, guide, and direct your life.
Discussion Questions:
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