Wisdomfied part 4- The Preeminence of God

Prepare Your Heart:  Read Job chapter 28.  Reflect on the differences found between man and God as described in this chapter.  Pray about your fear of the Lord and ask Him to give you a holy reverence for His name and character.

I remember when I first became interested in the thought of what it means to fear the Lord.  That was a strange concept for me, as I had been at place in my faith where I was comfortalbe with the idea of God as the Savior Jesus, who was also my friend.  To fear Him didn’t seem like an emotion that would bring me closer to God.  I would recommend a book to you called The Joy of Fearing God by Jerry Bridges.  A quote from the inside flap reads, “For most of us fear is something we try to avoid.  And fearing God hardly sounds like an occasion for joy.  But the fear of the Lord is actually the key that opens the door to a life of true knowledge, wisdom, blessing, and joy.”

Today we will look at God’s place as preeminent and sovereign.  What I discovered as I studied the fear of God is that to see Him and His power as He really is does not make one afraid but full of reverence and trust.  That is why a healthy view of the fear of God will transform your faith, as you see that He is the One who provides and protects you.  If you fear God, you will have no need to fear any other person or circumstance in life.  Jesus says in Luke 12:4 I say to you friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body and after that have no more they can do.  That is the beginning of joy, a life set free is a life that has complete trust in the One who holds all things in His hand. 

We are going to study these concepts in Proverbs today in three sections.  You will be skipping around a lot!  As you read each verse, make a list of what it teaches you about each topic.

The Fear of the Lord:

·         9:10-12

·         10:27

·         14:2,26,27

·         15:33

·         19:23

·         28:14

Trust in God or Self

·         3:5-8

·         14:12 (16:25 is the same verse)

·         16:3, 20

·         18:2, 4, 10

·         19:3

·         20:24

·         21:22

·         26:12

·         28:26

·         29:25

The Divine Providence of God

·         15:3

·         16:1, 4, 9, 33

·         19:21

·         21:30, 31

·         22:12

·         27:1

In reading all those verses, I’m sure that there was a few that the Holy Spirit made jump off the page so you would pay attention to His unique word for you today.  For me it was Proverbs 28:14 Blessed is the man who always fears the Lord, but he who hardens his heart falls into trouble. To always fear the Lord seems an impossible task and I let many things in life allow my heart to be hardened to His gentle touch in my life.  One of my favorite verses about the new heart God will give us is found in Ezekiel 11:19 And I will give them one heart, and put a new spirit within them.  And I will take the heart of stone out of their flesh and give them a heart of flesh.  Meditating on God’s words is one way to cultivate a soft heart and keep a reverence for God before you.  Write down a few of the verses that impacted you today, and think of them throughout your day.  Does this bring the joy that Proverbs speaks on?