Tuesday, September 08, 2015

In our last visit we started doing a topical study of “the fear of the Lord” as found in the book of Proverbs. Have you made a note of the 19 references and written down what they say about “the fear of the Lord?” The more I reflected on what these references in Proverbs said about the fear of the Lord I realized that fearing or revering the Lord is the beginning of true wisdom. But I also found that as you become wiser you will more readily and regularly find yourself fearing the Lord. The Psalmist declared in Psalm 53:1, “The fool says in his heart, ‘There is no God.’” Solomon made it clear at the outset of the book of Proverbs that his purpose for compiling the proverbs was to recognize, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline” (Proverbs 1:7). He encourages readers to pursue wisdom and knowledge, recognizing that a proper relationship with God and a proper respect and reverence for Him is at the heart of that pursuit. When you reflect on what Proverbs says about this pursuit you’ll find, the wiser you become the more reverence for the Lord you will exhibit. This often happens when you study a topic like this. Start by collecting information. Then, as you begin to understand what it is saying, correlate it into an outline. Soon you’ll find yourself being impacted by what you’re discovering. The final step is to crystallize what you’re learning into some applications, but don’t wait to respond if God is impressing a truth onto your mind and heart.