THE FEAR OF THE LORD
Scripture Reading - Psalm 111:10
The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: a good understanding have all they that do his commandments: his praise endureth for ever. KJV
This verse reminds us that wisdom begins with reverence toward our Heavenly Father God and His Son Jesus Christ. The word “fear” in the Old Testament is equivalent to the word we call “reverence” today. Sometimes you hear bible teachers also use the word “respect for God” to describe the fear of the Lord. We “respect” God for His constant love shown toward us and all mankind. Whether we are speaking of a holy “respect” for the things of God or having a sacred “reverence” for the Person of God He is worthy on both accounts. We should acknowledge the Awesome Presence of God as the creator of the universe, which includes this earth and all the people upon it. The thought of this glorious creation should bring us to an attitude of humility because we recognize that we (mankind) are only a small part of His vast creation. The amazing thing about God is that even though we are small in size compared to the planets the scripture tells us that God created all these things for us because we are on His mind. It is no accident that the air we breathe works perfectly with our body and is plenteous. Through divine design the food we need is already growing in the earth and the water we need is always running through the earth. Through the grace of God we know how to build and prosper as students in the Lord’s classroom. This “reverence” of God is how we gain understanding of people, circumstances, events and our future. This awesome “respect” for God translates into showing respect for God’s Word. The only way we can prove ourselves faithful to God is when we are doers of His Word. We notice that this scriptures states it is not enough to only read the Holy Bible because one must be a doer of God’s Word. The New Testament tells us that the doers of God’s Word will be blessed (empowered by grace) in their deeds. This means hearing God’s Word is only the start of the process because each person must place the Word they hear into their heart until it’s brings forth words of faith with corresponding actions. The person that only hears the word without taking it to heart is void of a lifestyle that is reflective of the fruit of God’s Word. Therefore always think about what God said about a situation before rendering a verdict. Be a doer of mercy, justice and love according to God’s Holy Word so that you will have good understanding for all the affairs of this life. Amen!