Proverbs
9:10 says, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of
the Holy One is understanding.” What does it mean to have “the fear of the
Lord?” The word “fear” in this verse means “to have reverence and awe for God.”
Having this kind of fear is a good thing, it is the beginning of wisdom, and
the book of Proverbs has much to say regarding the benefits of Godly wisdom.
In the
church today, some have such a casual attitude toward God and His name. There
is no fear, no reverence, no acknowledgement that God deserves our highest
honor, respect, and awe.
The fear of
God starts with recognizing that God is God, and I am not. In Isaiah 14 we see
that Lucifer decides, “he will exalt his throne above the stars of God.” He did
not recognize God as Supreme. We may not like to admit it, but when we “do our
own thing” against what God says, we are following after the devil. I wonder if
a popular song in hell might be, “I Did It My Way.”
Secondly, the
fear of God is doing what James 4:10 says to do, “humble yourselves in the
sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up.” We all want God to “lift us up,” but how many
of us are willing to do the first part, humble ourselves?
And
finally, 1 Chronicles 16 tells us to exalt the Lord, and to give Him the glory
due His name. When we give God the praise, when we give God His due, we are
demonstrating that we hold Him in reverence and high esteem. Proverbs 3:7 says,
“Fear the Lord and depart from evil, it will be health to your flesh and
strength to your bones.”
It is a good thing to fear the Lord. It is health and life
to all who hold Him and His word in extreme reverence and awe.
