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Explaining the Fear of the Lord

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Explaining the Fear of the Lord...

Explaining the Fear of the Lord

The kids and I had a discussion recently about the fear of the Lord and what that truly means. It can be a little more difficult to explain to children. Even adults sometimes misunderstand the phrase “fear of the Lord”. So, I thought I’d spend some time on that today and share an analogy that came to mind to describe this “fear”.

This month we have been reading through a YouVersion bible reading plan called The Wisdom of Proverbs. It’s a good introduction to the book by reading a chapter of proverbs each day of the month accompanied by a short explanation each day. Reading a proverb a day is one of my daily routines that I’d like to instill in my own children. I learned as a youth that this practice is one of the best ways to grow in wisdom.

Wisdom comes from the fear of the Lord

As a result of reading the bible, we’ve learned that the beginning of wisdom, knowledge, and understanding comes from the fear of the Lord.

“The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction.” Proverbs 1:7 (NIV)

“The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.” Proverbs 9:10 (NIV)

“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)

“And this is what he says to all humanity: The fear of the Lord is true wisdom; to forsake evil is real understanding.” Job 28:28 (NLT)

Therefore, if we want to be truly wise and grow in wisdom, we must learn this principle of having the fear of the Lord.

What is this “fear”?

The fear of the Lord has been defined as a specific sense of respect, awe, and submission to God. The Hebrew word for this fear is Continue reading →

How to Overcome Insecurity Caused by Fear Part 2

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How to Overcome Insecurity Caused by Fear Part 2

How to Overcome Insecurity Caused by Fear Part 2

**Please read Part 1 here if you have done so already.

Last week we talked about how fear can be a major factor in insecurity and how sometimes our fears can cause us to see ourselves differently than we really are (click on the post link above to get caught up).  I, myself, have dealt with a number of fears that have caused me to feel insecure.  Growing up I said I would never have kids, but I honestly think that stemmed from some fear.  I feared that I didn’t have what it took to be a good mom.  I feared what it would do to my body.  I also feared the pain of childbirth.  After having 2 kiddos, I now know that those fears were unfounded—although somewhat true, they were nothing to truly fear.  I was able to fight through and overcome each of them.  I also used to have a fear of teaching (again…I always said I would NEVER be a teacher).  I had so much self-doubt in that area that I made excuses about why I shouldn’t teach others (read more about it in this post here).  It’s kind of funny about how the devil often plants fears right smack in the middle of God’s plan and calling on our life.

Previously, we discussed a couple of practical steps to fight fear in order to overcome insecurities in these areas.  A couple of the steps included just facing the fear head-on and going ahead and doing whatever it is that is causing us fear.  This in turn builds our confidence and those insecurities will start to slowly fade in that area.  We also discussed the step of trusting in God and in His abilities more than our own.  We are not alone, and we don’t have to face the fears of life as if we are.  We have so much strength available to us if we will just lean on it.

Fear is False Evidence Appearing Real

A long time ago I heard an acronym for “fear” that I really liked.  You may have heard it as well.  It is that fear stands for False Evidence Appearing Real.  The idea is that a lot of times (not always), those things that we fear don’t even exist.  It makes me think of those times when I’ve been afraid of Continue reading →

How to Overcome Insecurity Caused by Fear-Part 1

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Learn how to overcome insecurities caused by fear-Part 1

How to Overcome Insecurity Caused by Fear-Part 1

Many of our self-esteem issues are rooted in fear—fear is a very common cause of insecurity.  We often shy away from things that cause us fear.  We are hesitant to put ourselves out there because we fear what will happen.  These insecurities hold us back from accomplishing great things.  In the bible, ten of the twelve Israelite spies were afraid to enter the land that God had promised them, and because of their fear they remained in the desert for another 40 years.  They didn’t see themselves as God saw them—as formidable conquerors who had God on their side.  Fear kept them from continuing on toward what God had already promised them.

“But the other men who had explored the land with him disagreed. “We can’t go up against them! They are stronger than we are!”” Numbers 13:31 (NLT)

Any fear that we allow to take hold of us can actually alter our identity and prevent us from seeing ourselves the way God sees us.  Fear will cause us to see ourselves as flawed and imperfect—which we are, BUT fear allows that image of ourselves to limit what God wants to do through us.  God wants to use us in spite of our flaws, imperfections and mistakes (see this post here for more).  If we will allow Him, God can push us through circumstances that seem impossible, and He can even do it in a way to where those things that cause us fear can actually work to our advantage!

Any fear we allow in can prevent us from seeing ourselves the way God sees us.

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God can overcome any fear—Here are a few examples (click reference to read a related verse): Continue reading →