Daily Reading: Proverbs 9
Scripture Focus: The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight.(Proverbs 9.10)
Devotional Thought: What does it mean to fear the Lord? Is it a negative thing? Is it something we should do?
I can best understand the fear of the Lord by relating it to an experience I had while vacationing with my youngest daughter and her husband in Niagara Falls. I distinctly remember the feeling I had while walking along the Niagara River just above the falls. We had viewed the falls just before and had been overwhelmed by their beauty. We had seen 748,000 gallons of water falling over its edge every second. Now walking along the path above the falls, watching that water rush by just a few feet from me, I had an overwhelming sense that, “If I fall in there, I’m a goner!” It was fear. But I wasn’t afraid.
The fear of the Lord is like that. We are not afraid of God, but we fear him. We worship him in his beauty, in his power, in his holiness. But, we approach him with respect and with reverence, knowing that we come to him on his terms, not our own. Just as we wouldn’t think of swimming in the Niagara River just above the falls, so we wouldn’t think of approaching God on our terms. We know that God loves us and that he sent his Son to die for us that we might come before him boldly. But, we must come through the Son. We must come humbly before the throne of grace. When we do that, we have found the path of wisdom and we can then have knowledge of the Holy One!
Prayer: Lord, though you are mightier than the rushing of mighty waters, help me to fear you but not be afraid of you - to reverence you but not hide from you. May I approach you with confidence because of your great love! Amen.
Psalm of the Day: Psalm 6.6-10
6 I am weary with my moaning; every night I flood my bed with tears; I drench my couch with my weeping.
7 My eye wastes away because of grief; it grows weak because of all my foes.
8 Depart from me, all you workers of evil, for the LORD has heard the sound of my weeping.
9 The LORD has heard my plea; the LORD accepts my prayer.
10 All my enemies shall be ashamed and greatly troubled; they shall turn back and be put to shame in a moment.
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