The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction. Prov 1:7

I asked Google, “What does it mean to fear the Lord” and top of the page was “Fearing God means having such a reverence for Him that it has a great impact on the way we live our lives. The fear of God is respecting Him, obeying Him, submitting to His discipline, and worshipping Him in awe.” Also Holman Bible Dictionary adds: “God as a fearful God The God of Israel is an awe-producing God because of His majesty, His power, His works, His transcendence, and His holiness.”

The concept of the fear of God can be a little confusing. I thought God doesn’t give us a spirit of fear and in fact, does he not command us to “fear not”? Yes there is a kind of fear that is negative and destructive. A kind that the devil thrives on in wrecking our identity and purpose. But the fear of God is when we realise that we stand in the presence of a holy God who is a consuming fire. It’s when realise that the God we serve hates sin with a passion. It’s when we come to our senses and live our lives the way God wants us to. It’s not a destructive fear, but one that strengthens our godly identity and propels us into the purposes of God.

We can never claim to know or to have wisdom until we fear God. You can read every book in the world and still remain a fool if you do not acknowledge God for who he is. You remain a fool since you do not know what to do with the knowledge you have acquired. You remain purposeless and self-centred. Fear God today. Acknowledge him for who he is and you become wiser than your teachers. Live your life in such a way that reflects that you fear God more than any man, more than the devil and more than any system of this world. This will give you wisdom for life!

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