When we were children we suffered particular
fears like the monster under the bed or in the closet. Some children will only go to sleep with a
night-light left on. Many children
between the ages one to two fear being left alone when their mother leaves the
room. The specter of some terrible
danger looms in the darkness of the unknown and fuels a rush of anxiety
anticipating the worst. Variations of
this scenario are pervasive realities across all time and place. What child does not encountered real fear
from unrefined imaginations. Often the
comforting assurance of love and safety in a parent’s voice and presence is the only balm soothing
a child’s soul and confirming that there is nothing to fear.
Somewhere in the foggy landscape of my
memory I am certain there were such childhood fears. Years later, having suppressed them from
remembrance, I am left with an orientation toward things in general that
occasion real fear and the wisdom of avoidance:
GMO foods, sugar, dietary sensitivities (gluten, cow dairy), driving
without a seat belt, riding in the back of a pick-up truck, cornering a badger,
playing chicken with a rattle snake, and other concerns at my advancing age. One verse in the Bible about fear in particular haunted me for
years: “The fear of the Lord is the
beginning of wisdom.” (Psalm
111:10) The fear of the Lord God may be
the residue left over from a loving, discipline oriented father who with five
rowdy boys was inclined toward a little corporeal punishment that I am sure was
well deserved. With the tough love from
our earthly fathers, how are we to resolve the idea that God is love while at the same time fearing him. Where are the worship
songs lyrics like “I love you God, but you are really scary”? What do we do with our conflicting impulses of
love and fear and our attraction to and avoidance of God?
A few years ago while pondering the matter I believe the Holy Spirit gave me a very simple insight into Psalm
111:10. Jesus said, “When He the Spirit
of Truth has come, He will guide you into all truth.” (John 16:13). So He did.
The insight is this: By fearing God we are to know, respect, and obey Him
for who he truly is. He is Creator
of the universe, the Father of all creation.
He is the one who keeps it all together.
He preserves all things. He
governs all things. He loves us and
desires to forgive us of our sin and restore us to His likeness in holiness. He looks forward to eternity with us. He only requires that we turn from our sinful
ways and in obedience to his commands walk in holiness and righteous with
him. In short, he desires that we show
our love for Him by our obedience.
Back to my earthly father, his voice still echoes in my head. I confess we were rascals growing-up. So often, when unhappy with my disobedience,
he would say with a degree of exasperation, “If you love me you will obey
me!” Jesus said the same thing in John
14:15. Fearing God is knowing and
respecting Him for who he is. Wisdom begins with doing what he expects as evidence of our love
for Him. We love Him because he first
loved us and we obey Him in return for his love for us. If we remain in him, he will remain in us
(John 5:5) and dwell in us (Ephesians 3:17) and fill us fully, to the brim with
the fullness of Himself (Ephesians 3:19). By knowing Him, respecting Him, and the wisdom of remaining in him, his “perfect love
casts out all fear.” (1 John 4:18).
This
is why “the fear of the Lord,”
knowing, respecting, and obeying God for who he is, “is
the beginning of wisdom.” Psalm 111:10
Such fear is wisdom’s midwife.
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