What is the Fear of the Lord?

The fear of the Lord is to hate evil. . . ---Proverbs 8:13

God has established laws that are to benefit mankind and promote life and health. These are laws that we may look at and thumb our nose at because we don’t like to be “bound” with rules. However, we end up being bound anyway because when we rebel against God’s laws, we step into the camp of our enemy, Satan. Rebellion is one of the main reasons we don’t experience the blessings of God. It is evil because is challenges God and His wisdom in what is best for His children.

When we become self-reliant and feel we don’t need God, we are prideful. We have resources, government programs, medicine, our wit, skills and abilities in which we accumulate stuff, achieve awards, receive recognition and on and on. We reason we don’t need God or even care if He is involved in our lives because we are so “self-sufficient.” That, again, is where Satan wants us to be. He wants us to be successful in and of ourselves because he knows that God cannot bless the proud. James 4:6 says, “God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.”

Another mark of evil is a perverse mouth. Now, we can take this several ways. First of all it indicates the words spoken that are hurtful, cruel or slanderous. That includes gossiping, speaking lies, malicious conversation and causing dissention. It also means speaking blasphemous words towards God, His laws, His love. The Ten Commandments says, “You shall not take the Lord God’s name in vain.” That means don’t use it out of the context of scripture. We are not to swear by His name, speak it in a string of profanity or even flippantly use God or Jesus Christ as an expletive. Proverbs 17:20 says, “A man (or woman) of perverse heart does not prosper; but whose tongue is deceitful falls into trouble.”

I want to encourage you with this from Proverbs 8:32-36. “Now therefore, listen to me, my children. For blessed are those who keep my ways. Hear instruction and be wise, and do not disdain it. Blessed is the man who listens to me. Watching daily at my gates, waiting at the posts of my doors. For whoever finds me finds life, and obtains favor from the Lord; but he who sins against me wrongs his own soul; all those who hate me love death.”

Confession: I realize that I have not been honoring God with my attitude or my words. I humble myself before the mighty hand of God that He will find mercy upon me. I will strive to love everyone and seek God’s help in all my activities. I desire to receive God’s blessing on my life.