The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge,
but fools despise wisdom and discipline.
Based on what we know about God, fearing Him should almost be a given. The fear that I believe the verse is referring isn't horror movie fear, well at least not completely. The reality of Hell can just about get you there. But the fear in this verse is a healthy fear like a child has of his parents. The child knows (at least they should) that doing anything against the parents' desires will result in punishment and sometimes that fear is enough to cause them to take the right path. That fear can lead to wise decisions.
Shouldn't our fear of God be all the more intensified? Well the truth is, too often it isn't. Maybe its because we take his grace for granted or maybe because He's chosen to Klein himself invisible to us, but for whatever reason we don't consider the consequences of our actions great enough to change them. Even more, we fail to see the benefits! We miss out on the wisdom that cones from trusting Him.
Is it possible that we fear God but just in the wrong context? I believe part of this fear is understanding the nature of the one you're fearing. He's a loving God, bot seeking to punish us but to bless us, if we'd only obey. Children often sneak behind their parents back so they can do the wrong thing. They obviously fear the consequences but the benefits of doing what's right doesn't outweigh the temptation of doing what is wrong.
God, help us to fear You and to know wisdom. Give us a healthy fear of you that leads to righteous living, not paranoia. Lead us, in Your word, to understand the benefits of obedience. The peace it brings and the blessing we can be to others. Let us not be foolish in trusting our own desires. When we fall away, cause us to learn from Your discipline. Illuminate within us the right perspective of you - a loving Father who wants what's best for his children.
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