365 Days with God - Day 152: Fear = Respect

I'm giving myself a challenge. Read the Bible each day for a whole year, following the ESV Study Guide 1-year plan. Each day, I will post whatever God has revealed to me in His Word, and how it is changing me. A friend of mine once said that nothing has changed her life as much as reading the bible each day - and I'm excited for how this will change me. Join me on an adventure into the heart of God - and day by day, we can learn more about who He is and what that means to us!

- Andy Catts

Day 152, May 21, 2014

Readings: Proverbs 1:1-7, Deuteronomy 2, Jonah 2, 2 Timothy 1:8-18

 I'll get this out there right now: It's going to be hard not to write about the Proverbs every day as I work through them.

Solomon was the wisest man who has ever lived and ever will live. He wrote the Proverbs and we are blessed to have them today. But something beautiful is contained where he begins. Something simple, yet so profound.  A good place to start, and applicable throughout.

The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge;
fools despise wisdom and instruction. (Proverbs 1:7)

We think of fear as intimidation, horror and malicious. But the fear of the LORD is not fearing His power. It is not fearing His wisdom. It is not fearing Him as our Creator. No, it is respect. We are to be in awe of His power, to be overwhelmed by His wisdom, and to honor our Creator.

If we want to be wise and knowledgeable, we must begin here. God is so much bigger than we are! I would not dream of standing toe-to-toe with a doctor on medical knowledge, or an artist on how to paint, or a lion on how to hunt. Yet every day, we challenge God on running the world. Every day, we think we know better. Every day, we question His every move.

Today, I want to fear, respect, honor the LORD. And maybe I'll get some knowledge.