email : Webview : Duane Brooks - Every Day with Jesus

June 5, 2019

Proverbs 9:10-11

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom,
and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.
For through wisdom your days will be many,
and years will be added to your life.
New International Version (NIV)

                Does “healthy fear” sound like a contradiction to you? Fear is bad, right? In the Old Testament when we see someone encounter God or even an angel, they often quake and shake with fear. Apparently God is so awesome that people who see him feel awe or holy fear. My brothers and I had a healthy fear of our Father. Like Aslan in the Narnia books, Dad was not necessarily safe, but he was good.

                We see this in God’s instruction to his people in Deuteronomy 10:12-13 when he says, “What does the Lord your God ask of you but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in obedience to him, to love him . . .” In some ways fear of the Lord and love for the Lord were just flip sides of the same coin. God does not want us to be anxious about him or to run from him. On the other hand, God is not to be taken for granted.

                Solomon wrote that the knowledge we want (Proverbs 1:7) and wisdom we need (Proverbs 9:10) begin with the fear of the Lord. When we recognize how powerful and great and loving God is we want to be near him and to worship him. But our familiarity should not lead to contempt. The more we really get to know God, the more we recognize he is breathtakingly awesome and beautiful. This makes us respect him and love him at the same time. When we respect him, we learn more and more about what he wants for our lives.

Pray with me:

Father, we ask you for a glimpse of your glory so that we do not trivialize your holiness or presume upon your grace. Let us live with a holy respect for you which enables us to learn more and more about you. To know you is to love you. We want to know you and love you more and more. Today. We pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.

This year our Every Day with Jesus readings will follow The Bible Project Read Scripture Plan. Copies of this reading plan are available at Tallowood Baptist Church, or download
the app at readscripture.org. Read through the Bible with us in 2019!
Joyfully,
Duane

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