"Fear" the Lord

NaBloPoMo continues...i didn't get anything written today, but am sharing a devotion i wrote some time ago.

Fear of the Lord is the foundation of true wisdom.
All who obey his commandments will grow in wisdom.

Praise him forever! -Psalm 111:10 NLT

Fear the Lord

A challenge of Bible study can be understanding the layers of meaning of the original languages. The word translated, “fear” also means to honor, to be in awe of, and to “be afraid of”. All of these emotions apply to our worship of God.

Driving in the Rocky Mountains on vacation a few years ago helped me to better comprehend all these overlapping layers of meaning. Where I live in the Midwest, one's experience of “rugged terrain” is a 1200 foot river bluff! In the Rockies, it is awe-inspiring and scary to drive through mountain passes, with miles of steep roads winding between towering peaks. Some roads have hair-pin turns, with sharp drop-offs on one side and a cliff rising overheard on the other. The scenery is stunningly beautiful, yet the ride can be terrifying! One lapse in attention or judgment can be disaster.

This applies to our faith life too. God is love, yet God is all-powerful too. God easily created those majestic mountains, yet could just as easily destroy them. Remembering God's power along with the perfect love, helps us to comprehend God better and to worship more fully. Yet, failing to follow the word of God can lead to sin and separation from God.

Thank God for Jesus! The Son of God, lived as a man in order to help us better love and know God. Through His gift of the Holy Spirit, we learn to worship in reverence and awe of the Lord God.

God of Glory, thank you for the majesty of creation to help us comprehend Your beauty and majesty. Let us revere and worship with awe today and always! In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Photo taken in northern New Mexico along highway 64 east of Taos