"The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding." - Proverbs 9:10
Although this verse is known & memorized by many Christians and perhaps some non-Christians are familiar with it. However, its depth is rarely talked about. For me, I always ask for wisdom in my daily tasks. Life can be difficult and quite frankly, my human brain can be not..so wise. So, usually, my daily prayer is like “Lord, give me the wisdom to go about my day, and don’t let me be an idiot”. Maybe you don’t pray in those exact words, but I sure do.
Recently, I was having my time with the Lord, and Proverbs 9:10 kept popping up in my mind. But what was highlighted this time as I read, was not about wisdom. It was about the fear of the Lord. I felt my heartbeat and it felt weighty. It sounds like a complicated matter and I still can’t shake it. So, naturally, my first response was the head scratch and looking up to the Lord and asking “What does that even mean?” so I began digging in the Word to find an answer:
The Fear of the Lord is Clean
“The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring forever: The judgments of the LORD are true and righteous altogether” - Psalms 19:9
This is the first verse that I felt directed to by the Lord. Meditating on this verse translated in my mind to this visual:
The fear of the Lord is like a paved path, clean, and beautiful, and the benefit of this path is that no matter how much you walk in it, your shoes and clothes will stay clean. It will never defile you. It will never get you dirty. It keeps you and protects you from your own self.
From what I understood, walking in the fear of the Lord in your daily life, gives you that feeling like when you’re driving just under the speed limit - a steady cruise. No matter how picky the cop behind you is, there is nothing he can do to pull you over. You’re in the permitted zone, kept and protected.
You Lack Nothing When You Fear the LORD
This verse hit me a bit because it sounded too good to be true. But, that’s the interesting thing about the Word of God, it is true. In Psalms 34:9, it says “Oh, fear the Lord, you, His saints, for those who fear Him have no lack”. For this verse to be lived out completely, I felt there are prerequisites to experience the depth of this truth.
Enjoy the Feast!
First, we must enjoy and take in God’s Word, like the feast on a banquet table that it is!!
Not feasting on it from 'duty' but from 'hunger & delight'. I am convicted in this area, but for me to be able to walk in that safety zone mentioned earlier, I must familiarize myself with what He says about who He is. To love Jesus is to know Him, and He is the Word–so, my understanding of Him will come as I feast on and take in the the Word.
Get an Adjustment!
Second, as I read His Word, God usually highlights what needs straightening in my life. It’s His mercy that He does so. He instructs me in many areas of my daily life - how to take care of my own body, how to work, how to parent, how to follow the earthly laws, how to treat my loved ones, and much more. So, in reality, there is a need and there is always a benefit when I invite Him to shine His light underneath the furniture and to flip an occasional table in my daily routines and responses. And allowing Him to clean each area & re-arrange what needs to be moved.
Now, I am not saying that it will be a perfect record type of journey, but this is the invitation the Lord is offering me ... offering us. If we take His Word in as the fuel and the GPS for our daily walk, trusting in its leadership, we will lack nothing. This is what He taught the Israelites in Deuteronomy 6:4-9 to know and memorize His covenant with us, to talk about it, to teach it, to let it be the lenses from which we see through... in today’s lingo, it would be - to be obsessed with it and consumed by it.
So What is the Fear of the Lord, Really?
The "fear of the Lord" refers not to being afraid of God in a terrifying sense, but to having a deep respect, reverence, and awe of Him. It acknowledges God's power, authority, and holiness and fosters a mindset of humility and a desire to please Him and honor Him through our devotion and response to the path He's made available for us to walk in. This type of fear is the beginning of wisdom, meaning that recognizing God's greatness and aligning oneself with it, is what leads to true understanding and moral insight. A life lived in accordance with divine principles, motivated by love and respect for Him rather than fear of punishment is wisdom.
If you want to understand more about wisdom and all of the protection and benefits it provides, please read Prov chapter 2... it's well worth the read :-)
If you are hearing all the language in this post about walking in deep relationship, reverence, and awe of God, yet, are struggling with connecting with Him in these personal and intimate ways, the INNERROOM is here to help facilitate your connection with Him. Often, when there is an inability to experience Him in these personal and trusting ways, it's because of unresolved pain that's blocking our ability to hear from Him. Wanting to connect with Him and not being able to tend to reinforce the barrier between our Hearts and His. This inability to connect with Him can lead to shame, guilt, and even frustration and anger.
So, if you desire a deeper connection with or understanding of God, Jesus, or Holy Spirit, please schedule an appointment with one of our facilitators who would be deeply honored by the opportunity to sit with you & create a safe place for your heart to be heard and connected with His.
ACTIVATION
We invite you to take communion at this time. Gather the elements. If you don't have grape juice, crackers or bread use what you have. Jesus said the point is to do this in remembrance of Him.
You're welcome to read this prayer or say your own as you remind yourself of the price Jesus paid so that you could have true wisdom and peace in your daily life.
Father God, thank you. For who you are. For your wisdom. For your character. You are Yahweh. You are Adonai. Lord, I want to learn how to fear you. I don't have all the answers but you said “come, O children, and listen to Me, and I will teach you the fear of the Lord” (Psalms 34:11). I am your children, Lord. I ask you Holy Spirit to give me the eyes, the strength, and alignment with your Word. Help my flesh obey what the Spirit wants. Strengthen my "No". Let me let you come in and flip those tables and air out what is not of you. Jesus come in my heart with your light. Perform surgery if needed, Lord. Papa God, I ask that you enlighten my mind with your Word. Give me the delight of sitting and reading and eating every day. Lord, direct my steps to walk in the fear of the Lord–to come before you with clean hands and clean heart. Jesus, thank you for your blood that was shed and your body that was broken for me to have access to the inner chamber of the heart of the Father. I love you, I honor you, and I fear you.
In your name, Jesus. Amen.
take communion
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