By Roger L. Moore II
Pastor
The Gathering Place at Critz
“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.” (Proverbs 9:10)
The scripture reference above talks about wisdom coming from fearing God and gaining knowledge of who He is. This is not a fear of being scared of God, but a reverential fear as to the ramifications or consequences of not being obedient just as we would fear our earthly parents or those in authority over us such as a police officer. The badge they wear gives them authority to protect and serve the community and enforce the laws of the land.
I often, just as I’m sure many of you do, look at my speedometer when first seeing a police car on the side of the road with his radar on. We may be going the speed limit but habitually we look to be sure. It is in our nature to “fear” the thought of getting a ticket. No one likes to give their hard earned money away for not paying attention or unnecessarily hurrying down the highway but it happens.
Just as we look at the speedometer we should also pay attention to whole of the Bible so as not to break God’s law, or for that matter, His heart! Our hearts should be full of the knowledge of who He is and how He wants us to live.
Being a father and a grandfather, it hurts my heart to have to discipline my children but it is necessary to teach them to have a fear of the consequences for their actions just as it should for we who believe in God as our Heavenly Father. I never liked whippings as a child from my father but it taught me respect him and his authority as my father.
He taught me that there are boundaries in my life and kept me from going further than I should have, saving my life from destruction that happens when there are no boundaries. Like a fenced in yard, It serves two purposes. One to protect us from outside intrusion of those who wish to cause trouble and the other to keep us safe from going outside the area where trouble waits. Having that fear kept me out of a lot of trouble and caused me to love my father so much more.
By placing boundaries before me I learned discipline and how to respect and treat others. I’m thankful for that and pass that along to my son and his children.
It would behove us all to return to a place of reverential fear and respect for the very God who created us. It would cause us to be more mindful of those we come in contact with every day. Like a fence, the word of God surrounds us and protects us if we follow its instructions and stay within Its boundaries.
It will cause us to gain wisdom to be able to navigate the culture that is ever changing around us and cause us to become more effective in changing our world. Reverently fear Him who created you, God, and your life will have a joy and peace that only comes from knowing who He really is.
May your day be filled with a desire to grow in the wisdom and knowledge of Christ!
