Fear of the Lord

Today we began a series looking at Proverbs. Proverbs is a meaty book, but it doles out words of wisdom in short, concise bites, which gives you a lot to think about in just a few short phrases.

When we were looking at this week's passage during the staff meeting on Tuesday, I was wrestling with the idea of the "fear of the Lord" and what that meant in the context which Solomon offered it. I think it is true we need to have a respect and reverence for God because his is so big and is so great.

Often, people will toss in small joke type things as prayers. It's not meant to be offensive and, it is true that the Bible said we can bring all our requests to God, no matter how small. But I still think that's an area where we can have respect. One of the ideas I think about there is when people pray for silly things, like that their team would win an important game.

I love sports, and I passionately throw myself into cheering on my favorite teams. But I would never pray to God that my team would win. Now, this is not meant to be a condemnation. If you do this, that's fine. It's between you and God. But to me, it feels too childish. I might pray for the safety of the players, or that the play is glorifying to God, but out of reverence for God and how great he is, I would never pray for God to influence the outcome of the game. And believe me, the Lakers tested that theory Thursday. But to me it's a sign of respect.

But another thing comes to mind when I look at Proverbs 1:7, which says, "The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline." When I read that, I couldn't help think it was talking about the moment when it finally dawns on us that God is out there, that he is real and that he is great. That would certainly be a moment of great fear, and puts us at a crossroads. I think that's what the verse is driving at.

Realizing the truth of God is the beginning of knowledge. Those who are wise continue down the path and grow in their faith. But those who are fools turn away from the knowledge, because it is hard and would require them to see the world as a bigger place and to see their role in it as a smaller piece of the puzzle. That's how great God is. And if God is real and he is great, that requires us to think of our live differently. Realizing that truth for the first time brings a fear of the Lord because it changes the way we view the world, and it is the beginning of the knowledge that can only be found in Scripture. The wise man continues the journey but the fool allows fear to pull them from the path because such knowledge and wisdom require a change in their view point.

I'm thankful to have a fear of the Lord, because that is the beginning of my journey toward him. It's a journey that's changed my life, continues to change my life, and will continue the rest of my days. I hope you've found the fear of the Lord too.