Fear Of The Lord

Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be still wiser;Teach a just man, and he will increase in learning.The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom,And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.

Proverbs 9:9-10 (NKJV)

The fear of the Lord. I think for many this is a very misunderstood concept. But since over and over both the Psalms and the Proverbs tell us that “the fear of the LORD” is key to the attainment of wisdom, we need to get a grip on what it really is—and then let it get a grip on us.

The fear of the Lord. A. W. Tozer, one of my favorite authors, said this: “The current trick of frightening people into accepting Christ by threatening them with atom bombs and guided missiles is not scriptural, neither is it effective. By shooting off firecrackers in the face of a flock of goats, you could conceivably succeed in herding them into a sheepfold; but all the natural fear in the world cannot make a sheep out of a goat. And neither can fear of [an enemy] invasion turn impenitent men into lovers of God and righteousness. It just does not work that way.”

On the other hand, one of my all-time favorite moments to capture this is in Isaiah 6:1-5. Isaiah had just experienced the death of a king he respected. He was desperate. He looked up and he saw the Lord on his throne in heaven, glorious, high, and lifted up. Isaiah was totally in awe, filled with reverence, and it shook him up. Now, that is the fear of the Lord.

Make It Personal . . . Live It Out!

Are you afraid of God? Do you fear his punishment? Do you fear you could never please him? This kind of fear only brings torment and causes you to keep him at arm’s distance. Did this false fear come from a harsh and cold relationship with your father or someone in authority? Please give your heavenly Father a chance to break that mold.

Let’s Pray

Lord, I know it is unfair for me to blame you for the mistakes of others. Please help me lower my defenses and let you show me both your tender mercies and your awesome wonder.

One Year Bible Reading

Exodus 37:1–38:31; Matthew 28:1-20; Psalm 34:11-22; Proverbs 9:9-10