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The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge;
fools despise wisdom and instruction. Proverbs 1:7

Do you have the fear of the LORD?  When we keep our eyes fixed on ourselves or on other people, we forget by Whom, and for Whom, we were made.  I don’t know about you, but this happens to me…daily.  <sigh>  But when I stop to I think about it, He Who holds my life in His Hands, takes precedence over everything else.

Fear.  When we fear anything or anyone more than God, it only leads to foolishness.  King Saul made this mistake in 1 Samuel 15 when he disobeyed the LORD concerning the destruction of the Amalekites.  God had devoted everything in Amalek to destruction, but Saul had chosen to preserve some of the people and animals.  His explanation to the prophet Samuel was this: I have sinned, for I have transgressed the commandment of the LORD and your words, because I feared the people [of Israel] and obeyed their voice (1 Samuel 15:24).  

Saul wanted to please the people more than he wanted to please the LORD and, afterward, he was told: you have rejected the word of the LORD, and the LORD has rejected you from being king over Israel (1 Samuel 15:26).

What or whom do you fear?  Does fear cause you to take your eyes off of the LORD? Jesus instructed His disciples, before he sent them out, saying, “Do not fear those who kill the body but are unable to kill the soul; but rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.” (Matt 10:28). 

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So often, we are told to think of the LORD as our Abba, our Daddy.  And this is true about Him.  Yet we should never forget the whole of Who He is: let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire (Hebrews 12:28-29).  

Fear of God leads to wisdom because it reminds us of our place; it humbles us.  When we are humble, we are ready to receive wisdom and instruction from Him; we acknowledge that we need Him and we desire to be obedient.

Today, let’s all have a little “healthy” fear.  Let’s remember how big He is, and how small we are.  He remembers.

As a father has compassion on his children,
so the LORD has compassion on those who fear Him;
for He knows how we are formed,
He remembers that we are dust (Psalm 103:13-14).

Hugs,

Britta~ I am justAgirl…just like you!