www.bible.com/111/pro.9.10.niv
“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.”-Proverbs 9:10
We are told over and over again to fear God throughout the Bible, but what does it mean to fear to God. Most of us when we hear the word fear we immediately think of something the scares us. Our fears, also, cripple us and prevent us from fulfilling our God given missions. For example: someone who is afraid of heights will freeze up when they are in a place that they perceive to be too high and they will try and avoid those places at all costs. Why then are we told that fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom? The writer of Proverbs here is not using the word fear in the context that I just described above, but instead he is using the word fear in the context of awe or respect. If you don’t respect God then you can never hope to find wisdom. And if you don’t stand in awe of God you will never find wisdom. God doesn’t want you to interact with him out of terror, but instead he wants you to interact with him out of love. If you are truly seeking to find the wisdom of God, then you will love and respect everything about God. Choose today to make your relationship with God one of love and respect, and not one based on being terrified of what God will do to you if mess up.