DAY 1: Fear of the Lord
Week 1: Seeking God: The Creator of Relationship
DAY 1: Fear of the Lord
“The Fear of the Lord is the beginning of all wisdom.” Proverbs 9:10 Fear is a dominant emotion in many relationships for a variety of valid reasons. It stands to reason, that the God who made us along with all the emotions we experience, understands that we have, and even need, fear. If we fear the right things, it actually motivates proper action and therefore brings protection. This verse illustrates that if we place our fear in Him, it actually brings good. In this case, the promise is wisdom. (Who needs wisdom in your relationships?!) If you read the rest of the “fear of the Lord” passages, you would find that they all promise an aspect of protection that is the antidote, if you will, to anything else we would fear in this life including those fearful things in your relationships! Please look up at least 10 more of these passages to encourage your spirit.
List all of the things other than God that you fear. Confess those specific things one by one to Him and to a trusted friend (Confess your sins to one another and pray for one another so that you may be healed. The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much. James 5:16). Hand each fear over to Him. Choose to exchange these fears only for the fear of the Lord. Remind yourself of the truth of His word that He did not give you a spirit of fear, but of love, power, and a sound mind (2 Tim. 1:7) Also, remind yourself that when you fear Him only, The fear of the Lord brings wisdom (Pr. 9:10), it brings glory to His Name (Rev. 15:4), you receive the ability to judge with integrity (2 Chron. 19:7), you gain understanding & the ability to move away from evil (Job 28:28), you receive a fountain of life and He turns you from the snares of death (Pr. 14:27), knowledge (Pr. 2:5), and causes evil to be avoided (Pr. 16:6) What amazing benefits! Imagine how each of these benefits could improve the circumstances you are facing in each of your relationships.
Declare over yourself, “I fear only the LORD! Anytime I fear anything in my life, especially in my relationships, I quickly make the divine exchange. I hand Him my fear and receive only the fear of the LORD that brings Him great honor and brings me wisdom, understanding and knowledge to withstand any evil trying to gain ground in my cherished relationships.
Author of this post: Melanie Connell
February 17, 2015 @ 2:07 pm
I enjoyed day 1 and am looking forward to the rest of the series. I think the reference to the 2 Tim verse should be 1:7 instead of 1:17 and I’m not sure about the Revelation verse, but there is no 15:9.
February 17, 2015 @ 7:54 pm
Tana, Thank you so much for catching those errors! That excites me that you actually looked up the references because His Word is living and active. It also excites me because our interaction refines us! I have made those corrections in the text. You are correct. It was 2 Tim. 1:7 and the Revelation verse is 15:4. Thanks for pointing this out so that all who read will benefit! Blessings on your relational journey with Him and others! Melanie