“The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction.” Proverbs 1:7
September 13, 2024
As a youth I have vivid memories of going to a scary movie. Yet when the really scary part was about to come up I went to the concession area to buy some candy. The word fear is often invested with frightful experiences. However, the headline verse for the book of Proverbs tells us that the key to real knowledge is to fear the Lord. As one wise observer has said, “If we have a mature fear of the Lord, it means that we value and revere him above all else.” Am I pursuing love inspired awe of God? This is not a distrustful terror of God. To the contrary it is the fountain head of all wisdom. It is the fool who thumbs his nose at the riches of God’s revelation of Himself and how to fit into His world. It is the fear that banishes all other fears. It runs from pride (Prov. 3:7). It cultivates a hatred of evil (Prov. 8:13; 16:6). It stands in stark contrast and opposition to the world’s value system (Prov. 23:17). The fear of God will not send us to search for candy, but to seek out the commandments of God.
H
“O Loving Father, teach me how to fight my fears by the fear of you.”