FEAR THE LORD
Many places in the Old Testament, we find the term "Fear of the Lord". What, exactly, does that mean?
Fear, scripturally, does not mean to be afraid. Fear means respect for God's power and might, reverence, and obedience to the Lord.
Fear of the Lord is:
The beginning of knowledge (Proverbs 1:7)
To hate evil, pride, arrogance and the perverse mouth (Proverbs 8:12)
The beginning of wisdom (Proverbs 9:10)
Prolongs your life (Proverbs 10:27)
There is strong confidence and a place of refuge (Proverbs 14:26)
How do we come to a place where we "fear the Lord"?
Keep God's laws and commandments. Teach your children the same. (Deuteronomy 6:2)
Walk in His ways, love Him and serve Him. (Deuteronomy 10:12)
Serve Him and obey Him. (I Samuel 12:14)
Incline your ear to wisdom and apply your heart to understanding (Proverbs 2:2)
Ask for understanding and discernment (Proverbs 2:3)
Seek wisdom and search for hidden treasures [in His Words] (Proverbs 2:4)
"Then you will understand the fear of the Lord, and find the knowledge of God. For the Lord gives wisdom; from His mouth come knowledge and understanding; He stores up sound wisdom for the upright; He is a shield to those who walk uprightly; He guards the paths of justice and preserves the way of His saints, then you will understand righteousness and justice, equity and every good path." Proverbs 2:5-9
The Book of Proverbs IS a book of wisdom. I would encourage you to read a chapter a day until you get the wisdom and understanding deep into your spirit. A good program is to read the chapter corresponding with the day of the month. For instance, on the first day of the month, read chapter 1. When you read the chapter corresponding to the day of the month, you will always know where you are in the book. There are 31 chapters in the Book of Proverbs – that is one chapter a day for 7 months out of the year. How you handle chapter 31 in February, April, June, September and November is up to you. Read thoughtfully and, if you have a study Bible, check out some of those cross references.
In the Book of Proverbs, you are repeatedly encouraged to "get wisdom – get understanding". There is no better advice! I can assure you that if you follow this plan for 3-4 months, you will grow spiritually by leaps and bounds. Also, I might add, this reading plan is a sure cure for those "desert" times in your life.
"Then those who feared the LORD spoke to one another, And the LORD listened and heard them; So a book of remembrance was written before Him For those who fear the LORD And who meditate on His name." Malachi 3:16
