The book of Proverbs is a guide for pursuing godly wisdom in our daily lives. In this four-week study, we will read a selection of topical proverbs covering different aspects of wisdom, from how to interact with our friends, families, and neighbors, to fearing God and keeping His commands. No matter the subject, these proverbs urge us to wrestle with and reflect on our own response to them. To help you better engage with the proverbs in this reading plan, we have provided you with a short introduction and reflection questions for each day.
When the Bible talks about fearing God, it means we should revere God as holy. Revering Him as holy is not a posture of hiding but a posture of drawing near.
Reflection Questions:
What do you think it means to fear God in a way that cultivates intimacy between you and Him?
What does “Don’t be wise in your own eyes” (Proverbs 3:7) have to do with fearing God?
When you find yourself envying sinners (Proverbs 23:17), what specifically do you envy? What does that envy reveal about what you revere?
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155 thoughts on "The Fear of God"
You are very right. We should always think when we know right from wrong.
His Word refreshes the soul.
I feel like to fear the Lord is to know sin is wrong and hurts him. It makes us think twice about sinning
Fear of the Lord can also be understanding how unreliable and fickle and sinful I am. In opposition to His true love, faithfulness, and holiness. Therefore, I shouldn’t be wise in my own eyes but seek His way and live by his truths. Fear is respecting that doing these things is the only way to “healing for your flesh, and refreshing to your bones” reminds me of Jesus’s words “I am the way, the truth, and the life.”
I really love this so much. I can’t wait to better understand the word.
Fear of the Lord is acknowledging and believing that He is the most high, but it is also submitting to Him because he is the most high. ❤️
Even though I am only on day 2 I am still looking deep into myself and my faults. Such a good devotional! Short and sweet!!
This is so good, I feel this rug too sometimes and when I don’t listen to it I feel like such a fool!!
To fear the Lord helps our relationship by knowing he is my protector. He is the almighty. Through Him we can have eternal life, like the fountain of life mentioned in 14:27. Being wise in your own eyes is meaning that you believe your way it the correct and best way and it is not. Gods way is the best. To fear God means that you know He has what is best for you in His plans. When I find myself envying sinners to reveals to me that I am not focused on Gods best and His plans. Not trusting Him to lead me.
To fear the Lord helps our relationship by knowing he is my protector. He is the almighty. Through Him we can have eternal life, like the fountain of life mentioned in 14:27.
Being wise in your own eyes is meaning that you believe your way it the correct and best way and it is not. Gods way is the best. To fear God means that you know He has what is best for you in His plans.
To fear the Lord helps our relationship by knowing he is my protector. He is the almighty. Through Him we can have eternal life, like the fountain of life mentioned in 14:27.
Fear of the Lord is understanding his rightful place and his depth of power
Fearing the Lord is asking you to actively pursue Him. To have a relationship with the Lord means to believe in Jesus.
“Don’t be wise in your own eyes”- our heart and minds are sinful. We are called to seek the Lord with all we do and ask Him to guide us. He is wise and we are not. Envying sinners in my life reveals my little faith in God providing for me.
Fearing the Lord is asking you to actively pursue Him. “Don’t be wise in your own eyes”- our heart and minds are sinful. We are called to seek the Lord with all we do and ask Him to guide us. He is wise and we are not. Envying sinners in my life reveals my little faith in God providing for me.
fearing god is respect and acknowledging that he is the king of all kings.
Fearing the Lord for me means putting God in his rightful place, and me in mine. He is God and I am not. True growth and intimacy with Him starts there.
Don’t be wise in your own eyes, makes me think about when Holy Spirit convicts me not to say something … and instead I do it and then causes a bunch of drama … hide under His wing instead and STAY silent.
For me, the fear of God is being obedient to His instructions, not to do what He despises, and to do what He asks. And as I follow His standards to live, I can feel that He’s always close to me, especially when there’s obstacles in life.
Envy sinners:
Sometimes I feel it’s kinda free not to live according to certain standards, but I am aware that’s the foolishness in me thinking. Life without standards is not free at all for we have to bear the consequences for sinning.
For me, the fear of God is being obedient to His instructions, not to do what He despises, and to do what He asks. And as I follow His standards to live, I can feel that He’s always close to me, especially when there’s obstacles in life.
Envy sinners:
For me, the fear of God is being obedient to His instructions, not to do what He despises, and to do what He asks. And as I follow His standards to live, I can feel that He’s always close to me, especially when there’s obstacles in life.
Fearing the Lord is the foundation to wisdom. In fearing the Lord we are honoring Him though obedience and showing respect because His name is hallowed.
So good!
To obey His word & honor him in all that I do. To trust in Him & His plan for me when things are unclear, to live in fear of how great His plan is for me.
Thank you Pamela!
Thank you. This is a beautiful and resonant explanation. I really appreciate your perspective.
The way I take it, I would be too scared to disappoint him with my actions, so I live in fear of the lord. I hope that helps.
Fearing the Lord simply means respecting his word as truth and honoring him as holy. So don’t think of it as “fear” in the way that we use the word. Think of it as the way you would honor the wishes of an elder respected relative and follow their guidance because you know they want the best for you. Even their discipline comes from wisdom we do not yet have and a love for us and our well being. That is how I think of it. I too am still new to “studying” the Bible though I’ve believed for some time.
I’m studying the Bible for the first time and decided to start with Proverbs. For those active on this thread, I’m looking for your insight and perspective to help me reframe and think about something that is sticking with me. I’m struggling with the repeated reference to “fearing the lord”. What insights do you have that can help me work that through?
I’m studying the Bible for the first time and decided to start with Proverbs. For those active on this thread, I’m looking for your insight and perspective to help me reframe and think about something that is sticking with me differently than I currently am.I’m struggling with the repeated reference of “fearing the lord”.
For those active on this thread,
Never realized that my coveting of what other people have is really caused by a fear of rejection of others rather than a fear of God. I pray I can begin to fear God more than I fear others.
2) & 3) In society it’s relatively easy to be distracted away from focusing on seeking wisdom when there are short term incentives and easy wins in power or fame etc. To envy those who strike out and achieve ‘success’ in ways we are convicted to not pursue can be distracting but if we focus on the wisdom of God being a journey of a lifetime rather than an immediate gratification for now then I think it’s easier to acknowledge.
1) I think the more we understand about God, his greatness and love for us the more it feels ‘incomprehensible’ – in that sense if we trust the unknown and appreciate our capacity to fully understand Gods depth of power it’s beginning to draw us closer to intimacy with God
Amen! This is eye opening
No other person do I fear that bids me to draw closer in fear and wonder and reverence of Him!
Chappy,
Because you are His before you even turn to Him, He’s got you covered. Wisdom and honor all due to Him. Part of submerging our sins is also burying our future fears. Fear of being alone is real but if you fall for a nonbeliever hoping to make him equally yoked, you’re welcoming an unimaginable pain that you set aside and not the Lord’s. My husband for 7ys came into my life when I didn’t ask and now serving a ministry with two beautiful daughters. My late husband(7yrs) was a nonbeliever and died from alcohol. My late husband’s biological children are raised by him like his own. One is heading for college and the other now drives legally:)
Growing up I was taught to fear him because Hell awaited if I didn’t. As an adult, and finding my own faith, I’ve realized it just means He wants my love and affection. He wants me to follow him, to listen to Him above all things because He loves me. My eyes cannot see what God sees. I cannot rely on my sight, only on who I know He is and the promises His word provides.
I’ve always understood that the fear of God means regarding Him as holy, but I’ve not gone much beyond that thinking that I can remember (not to say there is no depth to holiness). It was more of a respect that I drew from in that phrase/verse. I haven’t framed it as actively drawing near, but I guess the opposite of fear & withdrawal is to draw near. I love that because our God is personal and it’s so in His nature to draw us to Him. ❤️
3. I feel I when I envy sinners it’s because I’m looking at my life short term. Like they can have that relationship with having sex before marriage and that will help them grow closer. But I’m forgetting that the relationship may end and they will be heartbroken by it because they shared something so emotional with each other or they may have a baby scare which could relationship in an unhappy marriage or a broken relationship with the child. I’m envious of sinner doing sinful things because I think my method is better than God’s perfect plan.
Fearing God in a way that cultivates intimacy means drawing near to him, not drawing away from him. As a child, the instinct was to draw away from parents’ correction, especially when it was infused with shame, rejection, even abuse. Fearing God is drawing close because he does not reject us, even in our worst moments
This sure has enlightened me more about this specific aspect. Thank you!
Fear of the Lord isn’t about being afraid of God; it’s about revering Him above all else.
Check this out The Fear of the Lord Hope this will enlighten us.
Amen!
1) I feel it has to do with respect. I respect my father and I wouldn’t want to hide thing or tell lies or disrespect and disappointment him so I’m going to do whatever I have to to keep healthy lines of communication open. Even if it’s hard to talk about.
2) I am more of an observer rather than someone who gives advice. I know I don’t have it all together and I communicate that clearly.
3) I can honestly say I don’t feel I envy anyone. We all have problems and flaws and I have enough of my own to handle and stare at.
What a great word we need to fear God and put our trust in Him alone. How many times I have trusted in myself and not the Lord and I always fall short and fail because I need to draw near to God and surrender to him all my hopes dreams and wishes and daily life. He is my rock and my salvation. Oh Lord help me to draw close to you first and seek your face everyday while it is called day.
What a powerful lesson today! Fearing the Lord is the gateway to peace, wisdom and freedom! Amen! Lord, you alone are holy. None stand beside you! We love you, worship you and revere you. Help our hearts align with your spirit that we may continue to fear you and drink from the fountain of life!
I realised that much of my envy comes from comparing my career success to that of others, my peers or even those I do not know. And time spent on LinkedIn only encourages this issue. I recognise that I revere academic and monetary success and the feeling that I must be the best, at the top and always ahead. But in understanding that I should not use the success of others as a goal post and be content with every season that God takes me to has changed my attitude. Trusting that God getting glory through all my successes is the end goal, is really a game changer. I turned my dissatisfaction into gratefulness. It is better to fear God than man.
God is wisdom. I when I reverence him I can grab from his wisdom and not my own understanding.
When I envy others for the things that they have and do… I show that I do not reverence God who is holy. He is all powerful and in control. We need to trust in him. God knows what he’s doing. Her knows the plans he has for us and when we seek him and lean into him… Our calling and purpose becomes more clearer.
God’s wisdom and words are the only way
I envy the intimate relationships between non married couples. I see those who seem so happy and yet I’m so fearful of the full commitment that marriage means. I’m not sure what this means I’m reverring other then man and man’s wisdom, but I’m praying for the Lord’s healing in this.
these are basically the words I said in my head! when we try to gain validation in the world, we lose the one that truly matters
This is me as well!!!
I have been wrestling with the Holy Spirit and today’s reading made me really think and accept that I have work to do.
I envy the connection and intimacy others seem to gain from being liked and valued for their relatability to each other. Ironically, when I gain their validation I lose God’s. One connection is fleeting and one connection lasts eternally. I’m trying to focus of the connection that feeds my soul.
When I envy someone, it is typically because I am jealous that they are getting more attention from my loved ones than I am getting myself. I find that social media truly is the root cause of this because if I didn’t have it, I wouldn’t care about where people’s attention lies because I wouldn’t see it. I need to be more mindful of the worldly things that capture my attention because they don’t matter. The likes and comments and views on a post don’t matter. The time spent with loved ones, making memories and reveling in gods glory is what matters. My husband and best friend both deleted their social media accounts a few months and they both talk about how liberating it was. Maybe it’s time I get rid of social media for good too. I will definitely pray on this over the next few days.
Same with me, Hannah! I used FB to feed my ego with praise and adoration and attention! I stopped posting due to the Holy Spirit telling me it was not healthy and He wants to be center of my thoughts and love. Social Media is an idol He wants us to smash!
Letitia, the Holy Spirit guided me to stop posting on FB, just use it for groups to get info for mostly church groups. It was a big thing weighing on me and I finally obeyed the wisdom. I feel more free as I am not comparing myself or having the idol of pride and happiness being posted. Privacy is good too!
I find myself envy wealth and success a lot. But I know now being in the industry for years the cost many of these “success stories” have paid in regards to relationships and sin. I pray God guides me and reveals himself to me more clearly.
Amen!!
I am starting here today. 11/11. I was woken up in the middle of the night and heard the Holy Spirit say – there is so much evil in the world. Turn off social media and pour into me. And I do just that. And here this morning this was the message I was given in his word. That’s not a coincidence. Isn’t God magical? I’m amazed by his love and guidance and he always meets me right where I am.
Yes, same here. Sometimes is just seems like “they have it so much easier” when we are dealing with the conviction of the Holy Spirit or guilt over doing something wrong. God calls us to a higher standard for our own good… but it is often painful and difficult along the way.
I really love this even though I’m a bit late
We all sin. And we all sometimes covet what looks like the easy way to gain something or get out of something. I truly cherish my walk with the Lord because now that I’m more mature I see that it’s through the hard times that I have grown spiritually and rely on him more.
I struggle with envy especially those I feel are excelling professionally/career-wise. I also struggle with comparison. This shows I revere worldly standards, pedigree and status. I also fear God in scary-fearful way. Like He is always angry and ready to met out hardship + punishment. I feel this way because growing up, my relationship with my dad was like that. I’m still scared if my earthly dad in some way and yes, I’m scared of God too.
Guide my heart Lord. I honestly and truly want to know you + focus on you and not on the world, amen.
I can relate to this. Especially the envy piece. So true that it shows and reveals more about the spaces where God needs to be let in
Jessica, it is very interesting to me that you were jealous of nonbelievers because as someone who has recently looked toward God, I envied believers. You have something greater than yourselves to put your faith into. Without God you shoulder all of the weight yourself.
Lord i seek you daily!
Yes girl! The constant struggle of social media.
Wow! This put into words exactly what I was feeling. Thank you for articulating that
I tend to envy the perceived freedom that other people have. Which is a huge heart issue. I don’t feel trapped in my my faith at all but there are things that I want to do sometimes that I know I can’t and these proverbs showed me that. I am working to a place where walking in the Lords will feels like complete freedom.
Yeah, these Proverbs hit me hard. I definitely envy attention and praise from other people. God, help me to surrender the superficial and seek your authentic love. Make me hunger for your life-giving fountain and teach me to walk in the ways of your wisdom in the midst of folly!
Sherry, I will pray for peace for you. I know that God has you in his hands. I pray that He will be with the doctors reading your results too.
1) I’ve always related my relationship with God to my relationship with my Dad . I’m very close to my dad . So , in everything that I do , I make sure that I respect him. I do my best to not disappoint him with my actions because I fear that I’ll make him sad . I guess that’s what god wants from us. We love and fear him enough to walk in His way. And it’s not like a « dictatorial fear « but a loving one.
2) when you’re wise in your eyes , you lose track of your sins. You start straying away from god. Example , When I start scoring good grades for exams , I tend to be lazy. I tell myself that I don’t need to study anymore. And we all know what happens at the end.
3) I envy my non believing friends who have it easy.But now and then , when I think about it , I’ve always been blessed and I shouldn’t envy them. God knows what’s best for us.
Such a good, tangible point about what we revere. I know my envy comes in the form of comparison and judgement, and the truth is that it’s social media where that often takes place and causes me to stumble.
I felt this. My envy towards others is usually also judgment according to my own knowledge.
Good point! This resonates with me, too. If I’m honest, I lean more toward criticism and judgment than envy. Didn’t really think of that until you made your point. Iron sharpening iron!
Made me realize I revere myself and my own knowledge in envying but also judging others.
I love the question posed – what does what you envy reveal about what you revere? So powerful, and so convicting when I examine myself and the things I envy people for. This is why getting in the word each day and reading truth is so important! So we dont lose sight of what truly matters.
Just like we don’t always like what our parents tell us not to do, we respect them later once we find out why and respect them even more. Imagine how much more God wants is to have this relationship with Him knowing He is embettering in life.
I think it means to be completely surrendered and obedient to His will. It is a motive of the heart. Do you love Jesus enough to love Him and not want to sin?
❤️
But there day will come when they are totally apart from God. (Ps 73:16-17)
This scripture tells me to fear the Lord all the day.
“Surely there is a future and my hope will not be cut off.” : My hardship is temporary. With scripture in my heart I can find Joy. With scripture in my heart I can fight the spiritual battle of the day. My hope is in Christ that I will get to live with him forever.
Yes, all people are sinners. But this scripture proverbs 23:17 is warning against envying non-believers. I struggle very much with this topic as I see those apart from God pursuing wealth and sometimes (I feel lots of times) finding success. They are apart from God and his discipline. They are void of a daily spiritual battle for their faith and They lean on there own wisdom. There is a reason why God warns against this because it’s easy to do when Christians are required to go through hardship. Hardship that strengthens you, your character, faith and hope. Rom 5:4, Heb 12:11,
I can total relate. My bent at ones is to envy the unbeliever for their success and ease. I have to remind myself, It so momentary and it is void of God. That should make me sad and make me want to share about His goodness and riches!
Thanks for sharing.
Powerful
I agree Jillian. It’s the lack of resistance that I envy. I’m so tired of evaluating every interaction as “friend, or enemy”? Seems like everyone has their fists up looking for a fight these days.
This really got me today. “There is surely hope for you, and your hope will not be cut off.” Its so hard to remember in the rough patches but God’s will WILL prevail. God has a plan. I can sleep knowing my hope is always rooted in God, and it will not be cut off. ❤️
What do you think it means to fear God in a way that cultivates intimacy between you and Him?
`I think it’s a forum of respect, to know that He is capable of everything. Like knowing His
rules and (trying to) following them. And it does scar me to think about the greatness of
God and all He can do with it (me), or to think that I will never see Jezus. So I think it all
comes down to respect en knowledge.
What does “Don’t be wise in your own eyes” (Proverbs 3:7) have to do with fearing God?
`We only can be as wise as the world, and that worldly wise is nothing compared to God’s
knowledge. You should not be wise in your own eyes but in His, and that is harder but so
much more worth.
When you find yourself envying sinners (Proverbs 23:17), what specifically do you envy? What does that envy reveal about what you revere?
`I feel my self still as a sinner, and don’t want envying. But I do justice? people on some
sins they make or wish I could make them see it in. But as I riding this it feels like the
splinter and the beam :'(
I definitely relate to this. Thank you for sharing. ❤️
Spending time with God and in his word you get to know him and you feel closer to him. We should not rely on ourselves and our wisdom but depend on God and his care and provision. You then see him at work and your life and feel closer to him. I envy the talents of other people often and I’m not content with what I have very thought provoking.
Prayers, Give it to God
Hang in the Jillian! I’m right there in the boat with you. I’ve grown so much closer to Christ this year & in a way, I awoke to what I had been doing wrong.
I too, have quit all social media. I’ve really been able to see things through a “spiritual lense” lately & what I noticed was Satan’s tool is distraction. So, I quit cold turkey. No more social media & it has been the best thing ever.
To me, to fear God means to recognize His almighty power. He created and He can take away; much like the song, “You give and take away, My heart will choose to say, Lord blessed be Your name!”
This is exactly my thoughts. When you have no conviction of right or wrong it seems like less worry.
Love the second question. It is a reminder of our deep dependence on God— how tethered we are to him as the well of life. It’s a call to humility. Everything we need is found in him!
I taught a Bible lesson to 3rd graders today on Galatians 6:7-10; you reap what you sow. When you plant good seeds (being kind, giving generously, revering God, etc), God will bless you in return. When you plant bad seeds (sin, disobedience, turning away from God, etc) you receive that in return. We also talked about how even planting a bad seed once is still planting a bad seed that can grow, even if it’s small. I believe I cultivate intimacy with God when I plant those good seeds throughout the day. It’s a choice that we need to be more aware of while walking through life.
(1) To fear God is to trust Him.
(2) Don’t be wise in your eyes is to trust in God more than myself.
(3) When I’m envious of sinners it’s normally because they have something that I desire but do not have. However, I don’t know the sacrifices they had to make to obtain those desires.
The third question made me really think! This election season and the media have me stressed. I’m dipping into my anxiety medicine more and more and I carry so much stress in my neck and shoulders, which gives me massive headaches. What I envy sinners is their lack of responsibility. The ease of just agreeing and going along with the world. The acceptance the world has of them. I envy their ease in life. I feel even in the church we are at odds with each other and don’t show a united front. I have to be on guard against the world and against people at church. I feel like life is such a fight. A constant, never ending fight. I know our reward is going to be amazing but the fight to get there is long and hard. I’m so tired. I’m trying to hold onto the promise that our citizenship isn’t of this world. But the fight to get that far is so hard.
To fear God is to reverence him and longing to be in his presence. We can become prideful if you did it will lead to your downfall. Being holy is what we are called to be. When we envy sinners who are prospering in turn we start to revere that which is evil versus good/holy.
These are a few of my disjointed thoughts today. Fear of God is where we begin (1:7), it’s the source of our life (14:27) and our hope for the future (23:18). To have a better understanding of the holiness of God we must spend time with Him so we must draw nearer to Him. Being wise in the in the Lord attributes reverence and honor too Him. As I meditate on this it’s easy to see what is folly in my life but it’s harder to have lasting change. Praying for heart change to desire God’s wisdom above all else.
❤️
Fearing God to me is to shun evil. Exodus 20:20 the fear of the Lord will keep you from sinning. For most of my walk with the Lord I feel a strong impression that God was pictured as a loving grandpa that will forgive anything and everything (though that is true) on the other hand He is the righteous God who hates and will punish sin, who weighs intentions of the heart and secret thoughts. Lately I have been praying to the Lord to let me see this mighty and fearsome side of Him so I myself can cultivate the fear of Him so i won’t slip and can depart from temptations easier. No compromise.
Envying other people/ or sinners does come from discontentment. I pray that we can find contentment or learn to count our blessings, one by one, Lord please open our eyes so we see what you do behind the scenes for our good. As those who murmur and complain, or fail to recognize they are blessed, can have high chance to walk around the same mountain again and again (40 years as the God’s children back then). Lord have mercy so I may fear you and complain not, but choose to give thanks without ceasing, so I know your purpose and destiny for me, and your grace to get there quick! Praise the Lord. Bless you sisters.
I am praying for you:)
The Lord is showing me to value lasting things, like a gentle spirit, compassion, love, and faith. Instead of chasing after the things of this world, like possessions and beauty.
Enter Wild by Carlos Wittaker is a really good one. He teaches you how to Enter Wild through Jesus.
Don’t trust your Judgment in making your own decisions.
Comparing yourself to other people on social media
Whew, those questions will really make you think! The last question of what does my envy reveal about what I revere revealed some hard truths I needed to see in myself.
I’m loving the study questions with this plan! It’s really causing me to dig deep into the scripture and into myself. ♥️
The third question revealed that I have not been content with where God has placed me or with what I have. It also showed that I have been spending way too much time on social media, and that I need to step back and use the time to read the Bible and realign myself with God. If anyone has suggestions for what to read, please let me know!
To fear God is to recognize who He is. It is acknowledging His majesty and power, surrendering to His Holiness. Recognizing Who and What God is will brings me peace, reminding me that He is in control and even though I don’t know what the next step is, He does and I need to surrender it to Him, my Creator. Fearing God is coming before Him, knowing and asking, in expectation- that He works all things together for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose.
I am holding on to God’s promises today as I wait for the results of a biopsy. I need your prayers.
Praying for you today, Sherry!
I love the promises that come in these verses refreshment and that our hope will not be cut off. Just what my soul needed to hear today.
Yes! I went back to write them out – knowledge, healing and strengthening, a future and my hope will not be dashed! Beautiful promises.
Fearing God is respecting, honoring, and following his commands. In fearing God I also do not want to disappoint Him. It means respect for His word. Caring only what He thinks of me and not others. Don’t be wise in your own eyes is also about that respect. I need to rely on God and His word and instruction. Not relying on my thoughts and whims. That will be folly. I’m not sure at this age I envy sinners. I feel more sorry for the fact that they don’t know God or possibly even want to. Sin only brings consequences. I want the peace and joy that only having a relationship with God can bring.
Ooo this really hit home. Thank you
When I think of fearing God I think of the respect and honor due Him with reverence. I also think of how He can make anything happen, good or bad, but mainly good.
Please continue to pray for Finley, the little girl I care for, and her family, last night was a rough night. Her sister, who has Autism, poked her head in when I almost had Finley asleep and then that upset Finley to the point of not relaxing. Mom came in to help and got her calmed but she didn’t fall asleep until almost midnight. I had to finish my tasks near by and go back and forth to check on Finley. It’s going to be a long six weeks at this rate. Her casts have to stay on for that long. God grant me the patience.
Also continued prayers for my sister, Carol, and nephew, Jake, even though they are both doing better, they are still struggling. Jake needs prayers to continue to take his medicine and see the doctors. And Carol that she won’t go back to drinking again.
God blees all you my sisters.
Paula, I love how you frame “fearing God” as “taking God seriously”. This is exactly how I tend to view God and you are so right, when we take a minute to realize the sheer magnitude of all that God is, it truly is awe inspiring. Thanks for sharing!
❤️
These questions were reinforcing some answers I received when reading through Proverbs with the She Reads Truth Bible in a year plan. Pre pandemic and during losing my job I used to as God why I wasn’t being blessed with financially stability, romantic relationships and opportunities like my peers and some friends who didn’t believe in him. But re-reading Proverbs made me realise that what God has in store for me will align in the most perfect time for me and worry about what appears to be what I want actually has nothing to do with me. The envy came from a lack of patience. Fearing God has resonated as being obedient in his commandments and holding fast that the promises given to my ancestors are sufficient for me, it means trusting in God by abiding in his will.
My tale on Proverbs 3:7:
There is contentment to be found in the Lord, but we should never feel content with our level of knowledge & understanding of His Word. We must continually pursue Biblical wisdom, enriching and growing in our relationship with Him.
Amen Angela. I love the question format – sooooo helpful.
Angela you spoke my heart…thank you for your words and for sharing your heart!
Love this, Angela!
I’ve always thought of fearing the Lord as fearing in a way of myself crossing a boundry that I know is not good for my well being. I know it’s not right, and there is that feeling of the Holy Spirit that is trying to coax me to know it’s not right. God wants me to follow him and stay close to him, and choose correctly. It is dicipline to walk right with him. I never feared my father, yet, when I crossed a boundry that I knew wasn’t right, I feared his temper and his punishment, but in a way that I knew I needed it because he loved me enough to guide me and do what is best for me. We didn’t feel like we had many rules growing and curfews growing up like our friends did, but yet we knew what was pleasing to our parents and what was crossing that invisible boundry of their expectations. That to me represents the fear of the Lord. He always wants what is best for us, but He wants us to know our boundries, and to know He knows more than us to guide us through this crazy world. Sometimes we are still like rebellious teenagers and want to do it our own way and step out even though we know it isn’t really good.
The first question, I wrote down. Don’t think you got it all together, that you don’t need anything or anyone because the fear of God is the beginning of wisdom, in other words it’s wise to fear or revere God because He knows everything about us and most of all God is approachable.
When I take my focus off of me, what I think I know, and just come into His presence and be quiet before Him….there is nothing like it. He is so awesome, and in His presence the weight of the world is shifted from my shoulders to His. It puts things into perspective so that, should envy creep in, you quickly see the truth that, what “they” may have by the worlds standards as success, in Kingdom standards, is dust. Practicing His presence helps to build a mindset of contentment for me.
Susan, thank you for posting ! I love this! The visual of the Lord holding on to me, even if I slip or let go, is powerful. It gives me such peace. I am strong in my belief in God’s faithfulness, but something about that “picture,” it’s just so powerful to me. Thanks for sharing!
The only time I really envy sinners is when I think about dating – I know the pool would be much much bigger if I didn’t limit myself to believers (Boston is tougher than most places, I think)!!
To me, fearing the Lord is honoring His commands and the direction of the Spirit. The intimacy happens when I obey the nudging of the Spirit as in “go talk to that person,” “give that person a call and check on them,” or “pray for that person and use the Scripture you’ve been reading as a guide.” Maybe a better way to say it is to let His words of Scripture guide me in my everyday life relationships and decisions.
This is definitely an area I need to grow in. I’m good talking to a group but not so good at one-on-one conversations.
Today’s questions pulled me closer to awakening. My affirming takeaway as I meditated on today’s reading…. for me to draw near means bringing all my energies inward into my heart space. It’s intuitive. It’s my awakening and it’s there where I get quiet and closer to him. To listen. To connect and listen. Knowing I am supported. So good. So good. ❤️
Totally agree! I truly feel that God calms our spirits when we are relying on him.
When I envy sinners And I’m not fearing the Lord I’m looking for mans approval not Gods. May my heart be redirected to look towards God and what he would have me to do.
When I think of cultivating, I think of farming: tilling the soil, removing weeds, preparing it for planting and growing. To cultivate intimacy with GOD, I think I must also put forth time and sincere effort to see the areas, the things, the people, in my life that need to be removed so GOD can plant richness into me—my soul; then I will be prepared to grow intimately with Him.
For me, fearing the Lord is caring what God thinks more than caring what people think. I can struggle with caring too much what other people think, but really in my heart I care most what my Father thinks about me and the world around me – instead of listening to the world around me. I think fearing the Lord involves humbling our hearts and recognizing HE is God, we are not. Humbling our thought & opinions and asking for his thoughts and truth on all subjects.
Being wise in my own eyes is when my focus is on me. Not being wise in my own eyes is when my focus is on God. When my focus is on God, all that He is and all that He does, I am in awe. That’s fearing the Lord.
I’ve lived so long and seen so many consequences, that I don’t envy sinners. I sometimes envy other believers (working on that) but not sinners.
That was my thought too. Thanks for putting it into words.
Cultivating intimacy, fearing God, begins, for me, with practicing the presence of God. It’s approaching the day as a holy hunt, seeking God wherever I am, whatever I’m doing, in wherever I am and in whatever I’m doing. He’s there anyway. I just desire to be more aware of Him.
Yes, this!
I think there is a reason that Proverbs 3:7-8 says that fearing the Lord will be “healing for your body and strengthening for your bones.” When I am “wise in my own eyes,” I depend on my own understanding, thoughts, and opinions. This leads to a lot of anxiety. But if I instead truly trust in the Lord’s wisdom, ways, and understanding, then I let go of that burden and anxiety of trying to rely on myself. Letting go of that burden and anxiety in my experience has led to a relaxation and healing from the physical effects that stress and anxiety have on our bodies.
As I was thinking through the question, “What do you think it means to fear God in a way that cultivates intimacy between you and Him?” I couldn’t help but meditate on a quote from the book, “She Reads Truth: Holding Tight to Permanent in a World That’s Passing Away” by Rachel Myers and Amanda Bible Williams. Amanda writes, “When you’re in that place–clinging to the side of a wall made of rock, a storm of uncontrollable circumstances swirling around you–what you’re holding on to becomes clear. Place your foot on shale, and it will crumble beneath you. Grab hold of a loose ledge, and your hand will slip. But hold tight to the mountain itself, and it will hold you up” (3). Fearing God in a way that cultivates intimacy is holding tight to the Mountain, the Rock Eternal, so that He can hold me up. It’s also remembering that as I hold on to Him, He is holding on to me. I may fall or even let go, but His very great and precious promises-the Trustworthy Rope that keeps me tethered to the Rock-will never fail (Psalm 37:24). Nothing cultivates intimacy through the fear of the LORD more in me than the knowledge that I am undoubtedly fallible, but God is unfailingly faithful. Who on earth and in heaven do I have but God?
A FB post from a friend this morning was a photo of 3 mountain goats clinging to the sheer face of a mountain. After reading your comment I thought that we to are like those goats – we are safe and secure as long as we are clinging to God— even on the side of a mountain!
I was really challenged to read that question and consider what I do revere. I think it’s people who are living out what they love doing. Which isn’t a bad thing to aspire to as a believer living before God’s face, but made me look inwards and realise that I am actually also doing that exact thing so it shouldn’t inspire me with jealousy or envy but thankfulness to God and an eagerness to serve him. Comparison is such a trap!
Mmm, Paula I love that perspective on the fear of the Lord! I definitely struggle with trying to make God fit into my understanding instead of recognizing with wonder how vast He is.
I love the structure of this study! It gives so much room for the Holy Spirit to move and speak to my heart. He revealed to me today that I fear pain more than my fear of the Lord and that drives me away from His goodness. I tend to be jealous of unbelievers because of the apparent ease of their life. They don’t have to process the junk and sin in their life which can be a painful process, but God is reminding me that the pain breeds refinement, joy, and glory to Him!
I needed to read this this morning. I couldn’t help but thinking that the posture of hiding was similar to that of Adam and Eve hiding their nakedness from God. They were ashamed. But that is not how He wants us to see Him as holy. He wants us to be more like David, when he shamefully send, and draw near to the Lord. David sought Him with his whole heart, knowing the majesty and magnificent goodness of God.
When I fear God, I care what he thinks of me -compared to the fear of man which is when I care what other people think of me. This comes from a sermon at our church and is very helpful for me.
(1) Cultivating intimacy.
I have been approaching the idea of fearing God as “taking the idea of God seriously.”
I’ve noticed that I have tendency to shrink God, make Him understandable, containable, formulaic. Much more like Santa than a massive entity that created the entire universe. To me the fear of God is taking a minute to ground myself in the magnitude of God. In the shear size of His presence, His intellect, His compassion and His righteousness. It makes me feel so small in the very best way. And I think this cultivates intimacy in that true intimacy is about knowing and being known. When I take the idea of God seriously I know Him better and I know myself better. It also makes me feel safer because I desperately need Him and all of his breadth and depth… His expanses fills a soul deep longing.
(2) Wise in your own eyes.
This is a good proverb for me… I can definitely be “wise in my own eyes”. In my mind, it’s about thinking you know what is best. You’ve got it all sorted out. This is especially true when I’ve got it all sorted out and my conclusion stands in opposition to Gods word. I can’t tell you how many times I have thought Gods word was antiquated, old fashioned and I had figured it all out. Face Palm… it has absolutely never lead to a rich life.
(3) Don’t envy sinners.
Ugh. Dearest Lord… we are fed the lies that those around us choosing sin are living it up. I know intimately that this is NOT TRUE. And yet… Be with me Lord. Command my spirit.
Such a timely message. I revere looking competent in front of others and having all the answers. Thankful for the reminder to put my hope in God’s wisdom and not my own. Also the reminder that having all the answers or trying to be as prepared as possible is not what will yield peace and/or happiness. Those things come from leaning into God who knows all and reveals to us as He sees fit. It’s enough to know God because He is all and knows all, so that frees me up to not have to carry that burden but just be faithful with what He’s given me today.
Fear is reverence, not cowardice. I learned about myself in today’s reflections. I revere svelte figures with seemingly little effort to maintain.
Rebecca, that is so insightful! Thank you (all) for sharing. I realize I envy the way “sinners” – because aren’t we all – can seemingly move through life without as much care. Which in part means I revere that lack of accountability and I fear failing God’s expectations and purpose for my life. This is humbling and helpful to uncover…
ERB I was sitting here answering the questions out loud and you write exacting the thought I had! Thank you for sharing these thoughts.
I listened to a series by R. C. Sproul on the Holiness of God. Here is a link: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL30acyfm60fVpGc7Eo–3S6w1kdhXY9Cb
What do you think it means to fear God in a way that cultivates intimacy between you and Him?
This is such a great question!! I recently was reading an article by Chosen People Ministries that described that the Hebrew word for fear has more to do with REVERENCE, WORSHIP, and OBEDIENCE than it has to do with being afraid. …this description really hit home!! As it says in Psalm 111:10 “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; all those who practice it have a good understanding. His praise endures forever!”
May we all desire God and His ways above ALL else!!!
This question, “What does “Don’t be wise in your own eyes” (Proverbs 3:7) have to do with fearing God?” made me stop and pause…at first I didn’t understand it…. so I asked God to give me understanding and insight… and what I got was that our eyes should be solely fixed on God, His statutes and His ways. Letting our eyes, thoughts, hearts and minds wander to anything other than Him, is folly. …of course this is easier said than done! I know I struggle everyday to do this, and I’m very GLAD that God doesn’t focus on the struggle, He focuses on the heart and its desire!!! Thank You Jesus!!!!
VERY Excited to delve deeper!!!
I think this questions provoked me to actually think about what it means to fear God. And it is when we fear Him rightly (reverence) that we are able to desire to draw nearer to Him. That verse about the fear of God being the fountain of life really hit home. All that we will ever need is found in Him.