The Next It Girl | 3 of 3

Before we begin Part Three of “The Next It Girl”, let’s run a quick recap.  In Part One, we learned how our name and reputation reflect our walk with God.  Moving over to Part Two, we learn that swag naturally flows out of your relationship with God; the deeper your relationship, the greater your swag. It’s in your relationship with God that you know who you are in Christ, your unique skills and abilities as well as your purpose. When your relationship with God is deep and abiding, it’s not teetering on the trends of this world.

Without further ado, Part Three, “The Fear of the Lord”. 

We have two uses for fear.  Most of the time, we use fear to describe how we feel when we are afraid, in danger or in pain.  For this article, we are heading to the second use, the reverential awe.  You’re absolutely right!  This type of fear is hardly used or discussed, well, unless you are at a Bible study or in church listening to a sermon.  Nonetheless, it’s of utmost importance to understand its place in the book of Proverbs.

King Solomon, the wisest man on the earth, wrote the book of Proverbs and felt it rather important to talk about and have the fear of the Lord in our lives.  When you read through Proverbs you can see its benefits, uses, importance and significant value.  Does the fear of the Lord still apply to life today?  Is there a specific time and place for the fear of the Lord?

To best understand why “the fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge” (Proverbs 1.7, NIV), let’s dissect the verse, starting with the name Lord.  This a very special name used for God.  It’s Hebrew and translates to “I AM”. This name is incredibly sacred, so sacred that no one used it. Instead, the priests took the vowels from the Hebrew name Adonai, meaning Lord and infused it with the consonants, YHWH, thus producing Jehovah, translated to Lord God.

The very name, Lord, was revealed to Moses at the burning bush.  “I AM”—the God who always had been, and who always would be, whose name will be forever remembered from generation to generation—speaks to Moses.  Mind you, this name of God isn’t used because it’s sacred so when Moses uses this name, he is communicating to Israel that he has a personal and covenant relationship with God.

To help you better understand the magnitude of this name let’s dip into history for a moment.  The Hebrews are in Egypt under Pharaoh’s captivity, used as slaves to build his kingdom.  The Egyptians worshiped gods, lots of them. For example, they worshiped falcons which represented Re the Sun god.  When a falcon would die, they would mummify it and give the bird a ceremonial burial. Archeologists have found various animals mummified by the Egyptians in honor of the gods they represented.

The contrast between Hebrews and Egyptians is a similar theme throughout the Bible: God is alive and active, He is a covenant making and keeping God, He is “I AM”.  Let’s flip back over to Proverbs 1.7 for a minute, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge”. King Solomon is helping us to position ourselves to be in a personal and covenant relationship with God when he says that all knowledge begins with the fear of the Lord.  When you know who the Lord is, what He is all about and how your existence is dependent upon Him, nothing else is of significant importance.

The second part of the verse refers to a fool or morally deficient person, “but fools despise wisdom and discipline”.  King Solomon is saying that a fool will choose to ignore knowledge of the Lord, go about his way only to find out at the end of his days, that he has spent his life deficient in every aspect. The philosophies of this world and human traditions have limited value and benefit. King Solomon desires that we have all the blessings and benefits that God has for us. 

Here are some of the benefits you will find in the book of Proverbs:

·         9:10,  fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; knowledge of the holy one is understanding

·         10.27,  fear of the Lord adds length to life

·         14.26, he who fears the Lord has a secure fortress

·         14.27,  fear of the Lord is a fountain of life

·         15.33,  fear of the Lord teaches wisdom

·         16.6,  through the fear of the Lord a man avoids evil

·         19.23,  fear of the Lord leads to life

·         22.4,  humility and fear of the Lord bring wealth and honor and life

What does this mean for the God’s It Girl?  Good question, glad you asked! First, knowing who God is, his purpose for life and your life as well as having a personal relationship with Him are of utmost importance.  Sure you can get places with your looks, swag and who you know, but nothing will ever pale in comparison to the personal relationship you have with God.  The philosophies of this world come and go, but God will always be.  People will come and go and let you down, but God will always be there.

Knowledge doesn’t happen overnight.  You get knowledge from studying, applying and experiencing.  The fear of the Lord isn’t limited to a location or conversation.  It’s a way of living.  Your attitude and action are a reflection of your relationship with God; it’s your worship. Out of your respect for God, your actions and speech change accordingly: morally, ethically, spiritually, etc.

Did you know there are thirty-one Proverbs?  That’s one for each day! Try it and don’t be afraid to highlight.  To see how God is active in your life, start journaling: write down the verse that jumps out to you, what you sense the Holy Spirit saying to you with the verse, jot down a couple key highlights from your day and a few prayer requests.  In a year, pull out your journal and see how God has been actively involved in your life.