August 9th, 2022 – Late Tuesday Afternoon
“In the fear of the LORD there is strong confidence,
And his children will have refuge.
The fear of the LORD is a fountain of life,
That one may avoid the snares of death.” ~Proverbs 14:26-27
You may have heard of this saying: “Don’t tell God how big your storm/giant is; tell the storm/giant how big your God is.” While this is only a saying, it does bear testimony to the reality of our passage today; knowing the LORD leads to a proper view of and response to our situation.
We spoke of the fear of the LORD (reverence of, piety towards, etc.) and of our need to prioritize that perspective in our last devotional. As we saw there, the fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom and understanding; yet, as we see here, it is more than just the beginning. Indeed, the foundation of a proper perspective on life is found only in the fear of the LORD. Only in knowing Him and His nature can His children live confidently and find refuge in the midst of the storms of life; only in Him is found the fountain (think of a spring of water) of life; and, only in living with Him in view can we avoid the traps and pitfalls of death and destruction (physical and spiritual) that surround us on every hand.
Perhaps a good way to test our own fear of the LORD is to ask ourselves about the benefits found in our passage today. Do I (not coming from me or my abilities) have strong confidence (security) in the midst of the storms and trials of life? Do I find a refuge in the LORD Himself? Is my life overflowing with the living waters that can only be found in Jesus? Am I walking in the light as He is in the light or am I caught in the quagmire of sin, destruction, and death?
Beloved, we have been given the opportunity to know the living God! Let us not be deceived or distracted, but let us press on to know Him more and more! As we do, we will be more and more in awe of Him – equipped to fear Him and to know His love more intimately. Not only will we gain His wisdom and understanding, but we will find His peace to be our confidence, His strength to be our refuge, and His life to be our light.
Thank You, Father, for allowing us to know and fear Your name through Christ Jesus!