{"id":4739,"date":"2018-11-04T09:00:48","date_gmt":"2018-11-04T15:00:48","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.barbdahlgren.com\/?p=4739"},"modified":"2018-10-30T20:35:43","modified_gmt":"2018-10-31T01:35:43","slug":"choose-to-fear-the-lord","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/barbdahlgren.com\/?p=4739","title":{"rendered":"Choose to Fear the Lord"},"content":{"rendered":"

Yet, Another Year of Choices<\/em><\/p>\n

By Barbara Dahlgren<\/em><\/p>\n

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Proverbs has much to say about the fear of the Lord.<\/p>\n

Proverbs 9:10 tells us, \u201cThe fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom\u2026\u201d What exactly does that mean? Does it mean we tremble with fear every time God\u2019s name is mentioned? The dictionary definition of fear is \u201can unpleasant emotion caused by the belief that someone or something is dangerous, likely to cause pain, or a threat.\u201d<\/p>\n

Does God want us feel that He is dangerous, a threat or likely to cause us pain? I don\u2019t think so. Although some who don\u2019t really know God could interpret it that way. Some live in a constant state of anxiety thinking if they displease God, He will open the trap door to hell. That\u2019s just not true! However, God does want us to realize He is all powerful! When we know or recognize God as our Creator and our Master, we have reverence and awe for who He is, what He\u2019s done, and what He can do.<\/p>\n

Thinking of God as a loving Father can help us relate because there is a certain kind of fear or respect that a child has for a parent. Children realize parents have power over them. However, if the parents love them and use their power wisely, children know they are loved. There will be consequences for wrong behavior, but children know the motive will be love and what is best for them. Then the children want to please their parents not out of anxiety, but out of love.<\/p>\n

The same applies with fearing God. If we have a deep reverence for God and His love for us, we want to please Him \u2013 not because we feel frightened if we don\u2019t, but because we know it reaps the right result.<\/p>\n

If we are aware of God\u2019s awesome presence in our lives, we will fear Him in the right way. We will not be frightened of Him. We will acknowledge His holiness, embrace Him, and reverence Him in our lives. We will want to honor him in everything we do. He will be our priority and come first in our lives.<\/p>\n

There are blessings of fearing God and giving Him His rightful place in our lives. It brings\u2026<\/p>\n