“Better is little with the fear of the LORD than great treasure and trouble therewith”. Proverbs 15:16 KJV
The Bible consistently points to the thought of the “fear of the Lord” , in Proverbs 9:10 , King Solomon says “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding”.
What is the fear of the Lord , is it an emotion , an attitude or a passing thought. Paul says in the Book of Philippians 2:12 about working out our salvation with fear and trembling. Today we talk more about GOD’s love than the fear of GOD, yes the Love of GOD is an important factor but for us Christians it has to rise from the fear of GOD.
When Moses stood before burning bush, there was love and fear in his heart. When we stand before His presence is there fear and love working together. Fear arises in us when we are aware that we are in a weak position, when we are to suffer because of our mistakes or when we are aware of the consequences of an action we are about to do.
However the “Fear” of the Lord spoken by King Solomon is a different, this fear is connected with “reverence and awe”. The knowledge of a powerful , mighty and loving Father , brings in us reverence and the astounding beauty around us , the miracles of our lives, His grace that saves us brings forth the awe of GOD before our lives .It is with this reverence and awe that King Solomon wrote all the verses in Proverbs listed below - :
The "fear of the Lord" is the beginning of knowledge - Proverbs 1:7
The "fear of the Lord" will cause one to hate evil - Proverbs 8:13
The "fear of the Lord" will prolong life - Proverbs 10:27
The "fear of the Lord" provides strong confidence and is a fountain of life - Proverbs 14:26-27
The "fear of the Lord" prompts one to depart from evil – Proverbs 16:6
The "fear of the Lord" leads to a satisfying life, and spares one from much evil - Proverbs 19:23
The "fear of the Lord" is the way to riches, honour, and life! Proverbs 22:4
Having understood what it is to Fear the Lord, it is important to know that fear does not come naturally. This “fear” comes from leading a life of Holiness before GOD and Love among His people. Holiness in our words , in our actions , in our thoughts brings into us a new meaning about the Fear of the Lord. In the Bible it says “Be Holy for I am holy”, holiness is a necessary trait for a Christian and it is this walk of Holiness that brings a reverence and awe for GOD. Loving His people , comes through our actions for others that GOD has chosen and when we show kindness, meekness and gentleness to others , it develops the Fear of the Lord in us.
I close these thoughts with what Paul added to fear , which is the word “trembling” . We should have Fear of the Lord but we need to work on our salvation with Fear and Trembling. Think over it, why fear and “Trembling”.
GOD Bless
Deeps
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