"The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge..."

Devotion for Monday, June 8, 2020

Proverbs 1:7, “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge…”

While taking a break from writing devotionals the last couple of weeks, I have contemplated the next topic about which to write. One crucial aspect of our faith in the LORD that often gets drowned out in modern, especially American, Christianity is a proper understanding of the fear of the LORD.

Solomon states in the first chapter of Proverbs that the “fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge…” This is interesting to me because the world today seems to divorce knowledge from any formation of theism whatsoever. Solomon says that before you can know anything, before you can have a proper understanding of wisdom and instruction, you must have a fear of Jehovah God. That is a stark statement. Yet, we have myriads of individuals giving us advice today, claiming to be experts with many letters that come after their names, who do not claim to have any fear of the LORD.

That begs the question, what is the fear of the LORD? That is what I seek to answer for you in the coming devotionals. Of course, the biblical understanding of godly fear is not a fear that elicits horror, alarm, panic, or anxiety. That is placing our worldly understanding of fear upon the biblical theme.

The Apostle John teaches us, “There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment.” (1 John 4:18) John shows us that the worldly concept of fear is ultimately reserved only for those who reject Christ. Torment is the destiny of the unbeliever.

Therefore, the fear of the LORD is a different concept. Godly fear is expressed in deep reverence for the LORD. It is an intense, solemn respect for God’s character. This fear is one that drives us toward discipleship and righteousness. It is a fear that gives pause when tempted by the evil one. AND, it is a fear that provides the filter by which we obtain knowledge in a lost and dying world.

You see, we are in a fascinating age. And I don’t mean the age of the coronavirus. I mean the Age of Information. You have access to more information at your fingertips through the internet than any other generation in the history of the world. However with access to great knowledge comes great responsibility. For just as we have enjoyed the Age of Information since the dawn of the internet, we are unfortunately entering into the Age of Misinformation as well. If we are not careful, so many well-meaning individuals can be duped to believe all sorts of falsehoods that serve to poison the truth of God, His Gospel, and His calling in your life.

How do we wade through this quagmire of news flashes, reports, headlines, spin, internet google searches, YouTube expert videos, and the opinions of social media? The fear of the LORD.

Let Him guide you through it. He will give you the wisdom, humility, and discernment through His Word for you to navigate these choppy waters. Fear Him and His Son, Jesus Christ and “be of good cheer for He has overcome the world.” (John 16:33)