The Fear of God and Fruitfulness

July 9, 2025 / kdmiller55 / Leave a comment

A Song of Ascents.

¹Blessed is everyone who fears the LORD,
who walks in his ways!
²You shall eat the fruit of the labor of your hands;
you shall be blessed, and it shall be well with you.

³Your wife will be like a fruitful vine
    within your house;
your children will be like olive shoots
    around your table.
⁴Behold, thus shall the man be blessed
    who fears the LORD.

⁵The LORD bless you from Zion!
    May you see the prosperity of Jerusalem
    all the days of your life!
⁶May you see your children’s children!
    Peace be upon Israel! – Psalm 128:1-6 ESV

In this song of ascent, the psalmist links the fear of the LORD with fruitfulness. The concept of the fear of God is often misunderstood and misrepresented, but it is found throughout the Scriptures. Beginning in the Book of Genesis, Adam and Eve were placed in the Garden of Eden by God and privileged to enjoy unbroken fellowship with Him. That is, until they disobeyed His command to not eat of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. Once they had eaten the forbidden fruit, their relationship with God was forever altered.

Aware that they had violated the LORD’s command, Adam and Eve attempted to hide from His presence.

…they suddenly felt shame at their nakedness. So they sewed fig leaves together to cover themselves. When the cool evening breezes were blowing, the man and his wife heard the LORD God walking about in the garden. So they hid from the Lord God among the trees. – Genesis 3:7-8 NLT

Rather than revering God for His power and provision, they feared His judgment. The one who created them and gave them life suddenly became unapproachable and an object of fear. Their sin produced guilt, which caused them to run away from God rather than to Him. For the first time in their short lives, they felt shame and a sudden desire to cover their nakedness and to distance themselves from their Creator.

When God had created Adam and Eve, He gave them a mandate to fulfill.

“Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” – Genesis 2:28 ESV

Fruitfulness was a key element in their mission as His vice-regents. He had placed them in the garden with a job to do, and as long as they maintained a reverential awe for who He was, they would enjoy a life of fruitfulness and blessing.

When the Bible speaks of the fear of the LORD, it describes a willing submission to His power and authority. The author of the Book of Hebrews provides a succinct definition of what it means to fear God.

Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire. – Hebrews 12:28-29 NLT

For the child of God, to fear Him is to revere Him. It is not a knee-shaking, run-and-hide kind of fear that expects judgment, but it is an awe-inspiring, knee-bending, eye-averting awareness of His glory and greatness. This positive fear of God is seen throughout the Scriptures as various individuals came into contact with the Almighty. At the age of 99, Abram had an encounter with God that left him prostrate in reverential fear.

When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the Lord appeared to him and said, “I am El-Shaddai—‘God Almighty.’ Serve me faithfully and live a blameless life. I will make a covenant with you, by which I will guarantee to give you countless descendants.” At this, Abram fell face down on the ground. Genesis 17:1-3 NLT

When Moses met God at the burning bush on Mount Sinai, he “covered his face because he was afraid to look at God” (Exodus 3:6 NLT). When the prophet Ezekiel was given a glimpse of God’s glory, he “fell face down on the ground” (Ezekiel 1:28 NLT). These men were not exhibiting a fear of God’s judgment; they were responding to the glory of His divine presence. They knew they were standing before the righteous God of the universe and recognized their own unworthiness. That is a healthy fear, the kind described in Psalm 33.

Let the whole world fear the LORD,
and let everyone stand in awe of him.
For when he spoke, the world began!
It appeared at his command. – Psalm 33:8-9 NLT

Yet, not everyone fears the LORD in this way. There are many, especially unbelievers, whose fear of God is based on the threat of judgment. If they believe in His existence at all, they view Him as a demanding and vindictive judge who is never satisfied. They envision Him as a capricious deity who is inconsistent in His rulings and weilds His authority like an all-powerful despot.

But the fear of God described in Psalm 128 is a healthy, heart-based fear that balances an awareness of His holiness and transcendence with a reliance upon His love, grace, and mercy. Abram and Ezekiel bowed before God; they didn’t run from Him. Their goal wasn’t to get away but to worship Him for who He was: The God of the universe.

So, when the psalmist writes, “Blessed is everyone who fears the LORD, who walks in his ways,” he is describing those who recognize their unworthiness and understand God’s holiness. They obey, not under duress or out of some sense of compulsion, but because they appreciate His unmerited love for them. They “walk in His ways” because they believe He knows what is best for them. That is why Asaph could say, “Oh how I love your law!” (Psalm 119:97 ESV) and “I love your commandments above gold, above fine gold” (Psalm 119:127 ESV).

Those who have this kind of relationship with God will be fruitful. Their obedience will stem from reverential awe and respect, not abject fear. And, according to the psalmist, they will enjoy the fruit of their labor and experience God’s blessing on their lives. He is not promising a trouble-free existence or immunity from trials and tribulations; he is simply stating that a proper fear of God results in a life of fruitfulness, in every area of life.

Your wife will be like a fruitful grapevine,
    flourishing within your home.
Your children will be like vigorous young olive trees
    as they sit around your table.
That is the LORD’s blessing
    for those who fear him. – Psalm 128:3-4 NLT

This promise of a fruitful family life is based on a promise God made to the people of Israel and recorded in Deuteronomy 28.

“If you fully obey the LORD your God and carefully keep all his commands that I am giving you today, the LORD your God will set you high above all the nations of the world. You will experience all these blessings if you obey the LORD your God:

Your towns and your fields
    will be blessed.
Your children and your crops
    will be blessed.
The offspring of your herds and flocks
    will be blessed.
Your fruit baskets and breadboards
    will be blessed.
Wherever you go and whatever you do,
    you will be blessed.” – Deuteronomy 28:1-6 NLT

The Book of Deuteronomy contains several calls to fear God, which are linked to submission to His will and obedience to His commands.

“And now, Israel, what does the LORD your God require of you? He requires only that you fear the LORD your God, and live in a way that pleases him, and love him and serve him with all your heart and soul.” – Deuteronomy 10:12 NLT

“You must fear the LORD your God and worship him and cling to him. Your oaths must be in his name alone. He alone is your God, the only one who is worthy of your praise…” – Deuteronomy 10:20-21 NLT

What makes this kind of God-fearing relationship possible is a proper perspective that recognizes who God is and what He has graciously done for us.

“Look, the highest heavens and the earth and everything in it all belong to the LORD your God. Yet the LORD chose your ancestors as the objects of his love. And he chose you, their descendants, above all other nations, as is evident today. Therefore, change your hearts and stop being stubborn.” – Deuteronomy 10:14-16 NLT

The psalmist understood that God’s continued blessings were tied to continued obedience. However, he also knew that faithful obedience stemmed from an accurate understanding of God’s holiness and righteousness. A proper perspective of God is the key to having the right response to God.

To fear God is not to be scared of Him. It is to recognize His glory and transcendence. It is to show the proper respect for His power and to share His hatred for sin. A helpful analogy is to consider the power of electricity. We all know that electricity can kill us if misused, but we don’t run from it or avoid the benefits it can offer. We still plug in our appliances and turn on our air conditioning in the summer. When there is a power outage and the electricity goes off, we eagerly await its return. We appreciate its benefits and recognize that, in many ways, our lives depend upon its power and presence. It keeps our homes cool in the summer and warm in the winter. It prevents our food from spoiling. It provides light in the darkness and allows us to prepare meals and prolong our lives. We fear electricity when we treat it with proper care. We take advantage of all the benefits it has to offer, but with a constant awareness that it can be deadly if misused or without the proper precautions.

The same is true of our relationship with God. We are not to take Him for granted or treat Him with disrespect. He is all-powerful and can be highly beneficial to our lives, but He deserves to be treated with reverential fear. Those who fear the LORD will be blessed, and it was the psalmist’s prayer that God-fearing people would continue to experience His many blessings for generations to come.

May the Lord continually bless you from Zion.
May you see Jerusalem prosper as long as you live.
May you live to enjoy your grandchildren.
May Israel have peace! – Psalm 128:5-6 NLT

Father, You are all-powerful and worthy of our praise, honor, reverence, and fear. The Proverbs state that the fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge. Until we fully understand who You are and develop a healthy fear of Your holiness, we will never obey You properly. Our obedience will come from a sense of obligation or duty, but not from the heart. We will not appreciate Your mercy and grace and, therefore, we will not respond in thankfulness for all You have done. Open our eyes to see You clearly so that we might obey You more willingly. You bless those who fear You and for that I am grateful. Now, show me how to fear You the right way and for the right reasons. Amen

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Waiting For Wisdom Is Wise

May 20, 2024 / kdmiller55 / Leave a comment

¹⁸Then Abigail made haste and took two hundred loaves and two skins of wine and five sheep already prepared and five seahs of parched grain and a hundred clusters of raisins and two hundred cakes of figs, and laid them on donkeys. ¹⁹And she said to her young men, “Go on before me; behold, I come after you.” But she did not tell her husband Nabal. ²⁰And as she rode on the donkey and came down under cover of the mountain, behold, David and his men came down toward her, and she met them. ²¹Now David had said, “Surely in vain have I guarded all that this fellow has in the wilderness, so that nothing was missed of all that belonged to him, and he has returned me evil for good. ²²God do so to the enemies of David and more also, if by morning I leave so much as one male of all who belong to him.”

²³When Abigail saw David, she hurried and got down from the donkey and fell before David on her face and bowed to the ground. ²⁴She fell at his feet and said, “On me alone, my lord, be the guilt. Please let your servant speak in your ears, and hear the words of your servant. ²⁵Let not my lord regard this worthless fellow, Nabal, for as his name is, so is he. Nabal is his name, and folly is with him. But I your servant did not see the young men of my lord, whom you sent. ²⁶Now then, my lord, as the Lord lives, and as your soul lives, because the Lord has restrained you from bloodguilt and from saving with your own hand, now then let your enemies and those who seek to do evil to my lord be as Nabal. ²⁷And now let this present that your servant has brought to my lord be given to the young men who follow my lord. ²⁸Please forgive the trespass of your servant. For the Lord will certainly make my lord a sure house, because my lord is fighting the battles of the Lord, and evil shall not be found in you so long as you live. ²⁹If men rise up to pursue you and to seek your life, the life of my lord shall be bound in the bundle of the living in the care of the Lord your God. And the lives of your enemies he shall sling out as from the hollow of a sling. ³⁰And when the Lord has done to my lord according to all the good that he has spoken concerning you and has appointed you prince over Israel, ³¹my lord shall have no cause of grief or pangs of conscience for having shed blood without cause or for my lord working salvation himself. And when the Lord has dealt well with my lord, then remember your servant.” – 1 Samuel 25:18-31 ESV

In these verses, we are provided with a stark contrast between Nabal and Abigai, and it shows up in their choice of words. When Nabal had first encountered the men sent by David, he responded rashly and rather harshly.

“Who is David? Who is the son of Jesse? There are many servants these days who are breaking away from their masters. Shall I take my bread and my water and my meat that I have killed for my shearers and give it to men who come from I do not know where?” – 1 Samuel 25:10-11 ESV

Nabal treated David’s men with disrespect and dishonor and his words were flippant and filled with disdain. All the time his shepherds had tended his flocks in the wilderness of Paran, David and his men had provided them with free protection. One of Nabal’s own shepherds confirmed this fact when he appealed to Abigail to intervene.

“These men have been very good to us, and we never suffered any harm from them. Nothing was stolen from us the whole time they were with us. In fact, day and night they were like a wall of protection to us and the sheep.” – 1 Samuel 25:15-16 NLT

And yet, Nabal refused to acknowledge any of this and treated David with contempt rather than gratitude. In doing so, he demonstrated the characteristics of a biblical fool.

Wise words bring approval, but fools are destroyed by their own words. – Ecclesiastes 10:12 ESV
Fools’ words get them into constant quarrels;

    they are asking for a beating.
The mouths of fools are their ruin;

    they trap themselves with their lips. – Proverbs 18:6-7 NLT

Now Nabal “the fool” was about to get a beating from David. In fact, David had vowed to wipe out Nabal and every one of his men.

“A lot of good it did to help this fellow. We protected his flocks in the wilderness, and nothing he owned was lost or stolen. But he has repaid me evil for good. May God strike me and kill me if even one man of his household is still alive tomorrow morning!” – 1 Samuel 25:21-22 NLT

But wiser minds prevailed. Abigail, the wife of Nabal, when apprised of the situation, stepped in and determined to right the wrong her husband had done to David. This was probably not the first time she had been forced to intervene in her husband’s affairs. As his wife, she was well aware of his reputation and had first-hand experience with his serial foolishness. Even when describing her husband to David, she was extremely blunt.

“I know Nabal is a wicked and ill-tempered man; please don’t pay any attention to him. He is a fool, just as his name suggests.” – 1 Samuel 25:25 NLT

But Abigail’s words of reconciliation to David provide the greatest insight into the difference between her and her husband. Unlike Nabal, her words and actions are marked by wisdom and insight. However, her behavior is not the result of superior intelligence. She was obviously a smart woman but, more importantly, she was a godly woman who demonstrated a healthy fear of the Lord. Her wisdom was a byproduct of her relationship with the Almighty.

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom,
and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight. – Proverbs 9:10 ESV

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom;
all those who practice it have a good understanding. – Psalm 111:10 ESV

Abigail was wise because she was godly. She feared the Lord and recognized the hand of God at work in the life of David. Somehow, God had provided her with insight into the circumstances surrounding David’s life. While Nabal had seen David as nothing more than a man on the run, a fugitive from justice; Abigail recognized him as the next king of Israel.

“The Lord will surely reward you with a lasting dynasty, for you are fighting the Lord’s battles.” – 1 Samuel 25:28 NLT

“When the Lord has done all he promised and has made you leader of Israel, don’t let this be a blemish on your record. ” – 1 Samuel 25:30-31 NLT

Abigail was not flattering David or stroking his ego in an attempt to get on his good side; she had divine insight from God. She had been given wisdom from God that enabled her to assess the situation and recognize that David was God’s hand-picked successor to Saul and he would not want to do anything that would blemish his future reputation or dishonor the name of God. Her words and actions reveal the timeless truth of the following Proverb.

From a wise mind comes wise speech;
the words of the wise are persuasive.

Kind words are like honey —
sweet to the soul and healthy for the body. – Proverbs 16:23-24 NLT

Every aspect of Abigail’s handling of this delicate and dangerous situation displays a divinely inspired understanding of human nature and the keys to the successful mitigation of difficult circumstances. Her provision of food for David’s men and her choice of words for David’s ears were both divinely inspired. One of the most insightful things Abigail did that day was to get David to see things from God’s perspective. She knew David would be upset, and rightfully so. She fully understood how her husband’s foolish actions and words caused David to take offense and she knew he would seek to avenge himself against Nabal.

But Abigail wanted David to consider how God would have him respond. Yet, her actions are not completely selfless or altruistic. She wants to protect her family, servants, and social standing. If David follows through on his vow and wipes out every male in her household, Abigail will be left destitute and homeless. So, she went out of her way to persuade David to reconsider his response to Nabal’s slight. This wise and eloquent woman urged David to view his situation from a different perspective so that he might recognize the hand of God working through her to prevent the unnecessary slaughter of innocent people, an action that would place a permanent blight on David’s reputation.

“When the Lord has done all he promised and has made you leader of Israel, don’t let this be a blemish on your record. Then your conscience won’t have to bear the staggering burden of needless bloodshed and vengeance.” – 1 Samuel 25:30-31 NLT

It’s impossible to think about this fact and not fast-forward to a future event in David’s life when he failed to heed the words of Abigail. Years later, after David had become the king of Israel, he had an illicit affair with Bathsheba, the wife of one of his soldiers. When she became pregnant with his child, David arranged for her husband, Uriah, to be exposed to enemy fire on the front lines and killed. Uriah’s death allowed David to legally take Bathsheba as his wife. As a result of his unrighteous and unwise actions, David would discover what it was like for his conscience to bear the staggering burden of needless bloodshed. He would carry the guilt of Uriah’s death and bear the judgment of God for his actions – the death of his infant son born as a result of his adultery with Bathsheba.

David was a man of action who wrestled with impulsiveness. There were times in his life when he allowed his inclination for spontaneity to override his need for self-control and wisdom. His affair with Bathsheba is a perfect example. He saw her and had to have her, and when he allowed his passions to take priority over God’s will, he suffered the consequences. When David sought to escape from Saul and took refuge among the Philistines in Gath, he allowed his impulsive nature to cloud his thinking. Rather than seek the will of God, David took matters into his own hands and found himself in a potentially deadly predicament. This future king of Israel was going to need to learn to seek the will of God before knee-jerk reacting to his circumstances, and his encounter with Abigail would provide some much-needed insight into the way of the wise.

The words of Abigail were wise because they were godly, and they were godly because they came from the mouth of a godly woman. As the chapter unfolds, David will recognize the hand of God in the actions of Abigail. Her words reflect the wisdom of God and will protect the man of God from giving in to his penchant for impulsiveness. God would use this wise woman to accomplish His will in the life of David. The man after God’s own heart would be protected by a woman who displayed God’s own wisdom so that God’s sovereign will might be accomplished.

A Woman of God

July 18, 2022July 18, 2022 / kdmiller55 / Leave a comment

¹⁰An excellent wife who can find?
    She is far more precious than jewels.
¹¹The heart of her husband trusts in her,
    and he will have no lack of gain.
¹²She does him good, and not harm,
    all the days of her life.
¹³She seeks wool and flax,
    and works with willing hands.
¹⁴She is like the ships of the merchant;
    she brings her food from afar.
¹⁵She rises while it is yet night
    and provides food for her household
    and portions for her maidens.
¹⁶She considers a field and buys it;
    with the fruit of her hands she plants a vineyard.
¹⁷She dresses herself with strength
    and makes her arms strong.
¹⁸She perceives that her merchandise is profitable.
    Her lamp does not go out at night.
¹⁹She puts her hands to the distaff,
    and her hands hold the spindle.
²⁰She opens her hand to the poor
    and reaches out her hands to the needy.
²¹She is not afraid of snow for her household,
    for all her household are clothed in scarlet.
²²She makes bed coverings for herself;
    her clothing is fine linen and purple.
²³Her husband is known in the gates
    when he sits among the elders of the land.
²⁴She makes linen garments and sells them;
    she delivers sashes to the merchant.
²⁵Strength and dignity are her clothing,
    and she laughs at the time to come.
²⁶She opens her mouth with wisdom,
    and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue.
²⁷She looks well to the ways of her household
    and does not eat the bread of idleness.
²⁸Her children rise up and call her blessed;
    her husband also, and he praises her:
²⁹“Many women have done excellently,
    but you surpass them all.”
³⁰Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain,
    but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.
³¹Give her of the fruit of her hands,
    and let her works praise her in the gates. – Proverbs 31:10-31 ESV

It would seem that King Lemuel had a mother whose praises he was eager to sing. These closing verses of chapter 31 are a testimony to his mother’s character and the impact she had made on his life. For Lemuel, the woman who had raised him and inculcated words of wisdom into his life became the model for what it means to be a godly mother and wife.

Lemuel had high standards when it came to looking for a wife. And his mother had warned him not to waste his time and energy pursuing women whose lack of moral integrity and character would only end up damaging his reputation and his reign. As a king, Lemuel would have had no shortage of potential marriage candidates. There would have been an endless supply of young ladies eager to win the attention of the king and secure themselves a permanent place by his side as queen. So, as Lemuel wrestled with the weight of finding a suitable mate, he was forced to admit:

Who can find a virtuous and capable wife?
She is more precious than rubies. – Proverbs 31:2 NLT

Lemuel bemoans the fact that finding a good wife is difficult work but well worth the effort. As he considers his own mother’s life and legacy, he recognizes the value of setting a high standard and refusing to settle for less.

We all know how difficult it can be to find the “right” person to spend the rest of your life with. But Lemuel’s advice is to take your time and wait until you discover someone whose life is marked by godly characteristics that are of surpassing value and worth. King Lemuel poses a wonderful question when he asks, “Who can find a wife of noble character?” He compares the search for such a woman to the quest for a priceless jewel. She is rare and extremely valuable, and well worth searching and waiting for.

Lemuel goes on to list the kinds of qualities that mark the virtuous woman, and it is an extensive and impressive list. She will be trustworthy, faithful, hardworking, industrious, diligent, entrepreneurial, energetic, strong, caring, compassionate, wise, and godly. And those qualities will not only make her an excellent wife, but an influential mother, friend, and neighbor.

She will fear God and love her family. But what’s interesting is that King Lemuel spends no time describing her looks. In fact, he states that “charm is deceptive, and beauty does not last” (Proverbs 31:30 NLT). But then as now, culture puts a high priority on charm and beauty. Looks are important, and Lemuel is not dismissing the importance of physical attraction. He is simply stating that beauty can be skin deep and, when looking for a wife, you want to look beneath the surface.

To be honest, I was first attracted to my wife because of her looks, but then I quickly discovered her charm. As I spent more with her, I realized there was more to her beauty than had first met my eye. I was fortunate to discover that she was also a “woman who fears the Lord” (Proverbs 31:30 NLT).

One of the greatest desires of any parent is for their son to find a woman whose life will be characterized by the qualities found in these verses. And for Christian parents, one of the most important characteristics we pray for in our future daughter-in-laws is that they fear the Lord. We long for our son to find a woman who loves, respects, and reverences God and who displays a steady and growing dependence upon Him.

Lemuel’s concept of an ideal wife is a woman who answers to God. She is committed to living for God. She is learning to rest in God. And what father would not want his son to find a woman like that. Let’s face it, there are many beautiful, charming women in the world, but who can find a woman of noble character? Those kinds of women are few and far between. They are rare and priceless. They are limited to those who have given their lives to Christ and who are willing to allow Him to so radically change their hearts that they become priceless treasures in His hands. They are the ones who have allowed God to transform their lives in such a way that their inner beauty far surpasses their physical looks. Beauty fades but character lasts.

Charm is deceptive, and beauty does not last;
but a woman who fears the Lord will be greatly praised. – Proverbs 31:30 NLT

According to Lemuel, what makes a woman truly attractive is the godly character that far surpasses any outward charm they may possess. The apostle Peter describes it as a “beauty that comes from within.” And he encourages godly women to place a higher priority on cultivating their inner character than they do on enhancing their outer beauty

Don’t be concerned about the outward beauty of fancy hairstyles, expensive jewelry, or beautiful clothes. You should clothe yourselves instead with the beauty that comes from within, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is so precious to God. – 1 Peter 3:3-4 NLT

That kind of woman will greatly enrich any man’s life, and he will find she is well worth searching and waiting for. He will learn that she is of extreme value and deserves a husband who is also a man of noble, moral, and upright character. He will be motivated to display a character that is in keeping with hers. His love for and fear of God will mirror that of his wife. And sadly, those kinds of marriages seem to be few and far between. But they’re worth praying and waiting for.

In a society obsessed with outer beauty, it pays to be reminded that God looks at the heart. He is not impressed with externals. He does not measure our value based on our good looks or outer attractiveness. God is all about inner character. He sees what others too often fail to see and what most of us even refuse to look for. In this famous Proverb, King Lemuel describes a most impressive woman. She is industrious, a successful businesswoman, a loving mother, a highly disciplined worker, a caring friend, and a dedicated wife. In fact, this woman is almost too good to be true. But I don’t think the point of this Proverb is to hold up this woman as a model for all women to follow. Lemuel is simply reminding us that character counts.

It is what is on the inside that gives our lives value. This woman’s industry and hard work are laudable, but they are not the point. Hard work can simply become another form of idol worship, leading to workaholism and self-sufficiency. While King Lemuel describes this woman as dressing in fine linen and purple gowns, he says, “She is clothed with dignity and strength” (Proverbs 31:25 NLT).

Her inner character was outwardly visible by virtue of the way she lived her life. She worked hard out of love for her family, rather than love of self. She was industrious because she cared for others more than she cared for herself. This woman feared God. She had a reverence for God that drove her actions and determined her attitude about everything. Verse 10 describes her as “virtuous.” That word really has to do with inner strength. She was trustworthy, good, hard-working, discerning, compassionate, giving, humble, wise, kind, loving, and worthy of praise from both her children and her husband. Why? Because she had an inner beauty that was far more than skin deep. It was the byproduct of time spent with God.

If some of us, both men and women, spent more time in the Word and less time in the gym or in front of the mirror, we might exhibit more of the character qualities this woman possessed. If we cared more about the condition of our souls than we did about our bodies, we would be far more attractive to the world around us.

Charm can mislead and beauty soon fades. The woman to be admired and praised is the woman [or man] who lives in the Fear-of-GOD. – Proverbs 31:30 MSG

It All Begins and Ends with God

June 29, 2022 / kdmiller55 / Leave a comment

¹A good name is to be chosen rather than great riches,
    and favor is better than silver or gold.
²The rich and the poor meet together;
    the Lord is the Maker of them all.
³The prudent sees danger and hides himself,
    but the simple go on and suffer for it.
⁴The reward for humility and fear of the Lord
    is riches and honor and life.
⁵Thorns and snares are in the way of the crooked;
    whoever guards his soul will keep far from them.
⁶Train up a child in the way he should go;
    even when he is old he will not depart from it.
⁷The rich rules over the poor,
    and the borrower is the slave of the lender.
⁸Whoever sows injustice will reap calamity,
    and the rod of his fury will fail.
⁹Whoever has a bountiful eye will be blessed,
    for he shares his bread with the poor.
¹⁰Drive out a scoffer, and strife will go out,
    and quarreling and abuse will cease.
¹¹He who loves purity of heart,
    and whose speech is gracious, will have the king as his friend.
¹²The eyes of the Lord keep watch over knowledge,
    but he overthrows the words of the traitor.
¹³The sluggard says, “There is a lion outside!
    I shall be killed in the streets!”
¹⁴The mouth of forbidden women is a deep pit;
    he with whom the Lord is angry will fall into it.
¹⁵Folly is bound up in the heart of a child,
    but the rod of discipline drives it far from him.
¹⁶Whoever oppresses the poor to increase his own wealth,
    or gives to the rich, will only come to poverty. – Proverbs 22:1-16 ESV

We live in a heterogeneous world that is filled with all kinds of people from a diverse range of economic, cultural, and ethnic backgrounds. And while technology and transportation advances have made the world smaller to some degree, there are still dramatic differences between the cultures and communities that populate this planet. Yet, despite those differences, Solomon would have us remember that we all share a common bond. We have all been created by God.

The rich and poor have this in common:
The Lord made them both. – Proverbs 22:2 NLT

Regardless of our financial status, country of origin, religious affiliation, or ethnic makeup, we are all the handiwork of the same Creator-God, whether we recognize and honor him as such. Denying His existence does not alter the fact that He is the one who has given life to all humanity. And while the wisdom sayings collected by Solomon have stressed the stark differences between the foolish and the wise, there is an underlying theme that highlights our similarities.

All men long to live their lives in relative peace and security. They desire to get the most out of life during their relatively short time on this earth. But along with a common source of origin, we also share the mark of our sinful natures.

As the Scriptures say,

“No one is righteous—
    not even one.
No one is truly wise;
    no one is seeking God.
All have turned away;
    all have become useless.
No one does good,
    not a single one.” – Romans 3:10-12 NLT

For there is no distinction: for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God… – Romans 3:22-23 ESV

So, if Paul is right and no one is righteous or wise, how does anyone achieve a “good name” (verse 1)? If no one is seeking God, how can they ever expect to receive a “reward for humility and fear of the Lord” (verse 4)? What hope does anyone have to exhibit “a pure heart and gracious speech” if no one has the capacity to do good (verse 11)?

The answer to these perplexing questions is found in the One who made mankind in the first place. The Creator-God is also the Redeemer-God. He alone has the capacity to make the unrighteous righteous. The all-powerful God who formed the universe out of nothing can transform a sinful man into “a vessel for honor: sanctified, useful to the Master, and prepared for every good work” (2 Timothy 2:21 BSB).

God made mankind in His image and He deemed His creation as being very good. But sin marred what God had made and created an inseparable barrier between the Creator and His creation. Because of their decision to disobey God, Adam and Eve were cast from the garden He had made for them, and their progeny continued the pattern of transgressing His laws and distancing themselves from His presence. And the downward nature of their moral trajectory is recorded in the book of Genesis.

The LORD observed the extent of human wickedness on the earth, and he saw that everything they thought or imagined was consistently and totally evil. – Genesis 6:5 NLT

God made the decision to destroy all mankind and begin again. He brought a devastating flood upon the earth, but spared one man and his family because “Noah found favor with the LORD” (Genesis 6:8 NLT). And Noah found favor with God because he “was a righteous man, the only blameless person living on earth at the time, and he walked in close fellowship with God” (Genesis 6:9 NLT).

God started over with Noah and his family. But by the time we get to the days of Solomon, the spiritual state of humanity was no better than before. Not much had changed. Even among the Israelites, the chosen people of God, sin and unrighteousness remained a serious problem. Man, when left to his own devices, had an insatiable appetite for disobeying God and living according to his own sinful desires.

Throughout the book of Proverbs, Solomon points his readers back to the source of their existence: God Almighty. He wanted them to understand that any hope they had of experiencing God’s covenant blessings would have to begin with dependence upon Him. The wisdom necessary for living a full and meaningful life was only available from God. And that wisdom was only accessible to those who showed reverence and respect for God. Unlike oxygen, which exists in the atmosphere and is freely available to all, godly wisdom is impossible to access without God’s help.

And without godly wisdom, any desire for a good name, riches, honor, and wealth will all remain out of reach. Of course, there are those who seem to experience these “blessings” without maintaining a fear of the Lord. This world is filled with excessively wealthy people who have no regard for God. There are plenty of people who enjoy good reputations and are honored for their achievements, yet they fail to give God the time of day. And despite what Solomon says, not all “Corrupt people walk a thorny, treacherous road” (Proverbs 22:5 NLT). Some of them seem to have found the fast lane to fame and fortune.

So, what does Solomon mean when he states that “True humility and fear of the Lord lead to riches, honor, and long life” (Proverbs 22:4 NLT)? Does this verse contain the secret to success? Yes, it does, but we tend to put the focus on the wrong end of the verse.

We focus on the promise of “riches, honor, and long life.” We assume that because we believe in God, we have the first part of the verse down and automatically receive the “promises” it offers. As God’s people, we somehow believe that we are guaranteed the good life. And we even define what riches, honor, and long life should look like – all according to our perspective.

But the real point of this verse is contained in the description, “true humility and the fear of the Lord.” Those two things are critical and non-negotiable to receiving any blessings from God. They describe the life of the person who has a right relationship with God. They reveal the heart of the individual who loves God and shows Him the proper awe, reverence, and fear He deserves as the Almighty God of the Universe.

The humility spoken of in this verse is based on an understanding of who God is. In the face of God’s power, majesty, magnitude, intelligence, holiness, and complete righteousness, a humble person responds with an awareness of their own sinfulness, weakness, unfaithfulness, powerlessness, need, and unrighteousness. That awareness produces dependence. It results in a growing reliance upon God for ALL things, including not only salvation but our daily sanctification. It drives out self-righteousness and any thought that we somehow deserve the blessings of God. Humility is our response to God’s majesty and glory. It is “true” humility, not some kind of false self-abasement designed to impress others. It is real and the result of a growing awareness of just how great God really is.

Humility goes hand-in-hand with the fear of God. In Proverbs 9:10, Solomon reminds us that “Fear of the Lord is the foundation of wisdom.” When we learn to fear God, we grow in wisdom. We begin to realize just how much we need Him and all that He offers. We need His help in order to live the life He has called us to live on this fallen planet. We need His wisdom to navigate all the issues that face us each and every day. We need discernment, knowledge, discretion, and good old common sense – all of which come directly from God.

What Solomon is telling us is that any degree of riches, honor, and long life will come only as we learn to humble ourselves before the mighty hand of God. They will only come about if we learn to fear Him, honor Him, worship Him, and show Him the awe He so rightly deserves. But if we begin to worship riches, honor, and long life, we will miss the point altogether. We can easily make idols out of the blessings and miss the One who alone can provide them. That is NOT the fear of God.

We can find ourselves expecting God to give us happy homes, great jobs, good incomes, solid marriages, successful careers, obedient kids, and a host of other blessings. The problem is that many of us know nothing of true humility and the fear of God. We almost demand that He bless us, like the prodigal son who demanded that his father give him his inheritance. We display no love, no respect, no honor, and no fear.

In Proverbs 9, Solomon stated that the fear of God is the foundation of wisdom. In other words, it is the starting point, the very beginning of our quest for wisdom. It all begins with the fear of God. So, not until we fear God will we receive the wisdom we need that can help us succeed in life, marriage, parenting, work, and every other area of our lives. Proverbs 22:4 is not some kind of magic mantra that guarantees success. It is a reminder that the fear of the Lord is what should be the singular focus of our lives. Don’t obsess over the gifts, focus on the Giver. Make Him your highest priority. Make getting to know Him more important than getting things from Him. Then You will have true success.

The Way of God Lived With God

June 18, 2022 / kdmiller55 / Leave a comment

¹The plans of the heart belong to man,
    but the answer of the tongue is from the Lord.
²All the ways of a man are pure in his own eyes,
    but the Lord weighs the spirit.
³Commit your work to the Lord,
    and your plans will be established.
⁴The Lord has made everything for its purpose,
    even the wicked for the day of trouble.
⁵Everyone who is arrogant in heart is an abomination to the Lord;
    be assured, he will not go unpunished.
⁶By steadfast love and faithfulness iniquity is atoned for,
    and by the fear of the Lord one turns away from evil.
⁷When a man’s ways please the Lord,
    he makes even his enemies to be at peace with him.
⁸Better is a little with righteousness
    than great revenues with injustice.
⁹The heart of man plans his way,
    but the Lord establishes his steps.
¹⁰An oracle is on the lips of a king;
    his mouth does not sin in judgment.
¹¹A just balance and scales are the Lord’s;
    all the weights in the bag are his work.
¹²It is an abomination to kings to do evil,
    for the throne is established by righteousness.
¹³Righteous lips are the delight of a king,
    and he loves him who speaks what is right.
¹⁴A king’s wrath is a messenger of death,
    and a wise man will appease it.
¹⁵In the light of a king’s face there is life,
    and his favor is like the clouds that bring the spring rain. – Proverbs 16:1-15 ESV

Notice how many times Solomon mentions a man’s ways, works, or plans.

We can make our own plans,
but the Lord gives the right answer. – Proverbs 16:1 NLT

Commit your actions to the Lord,
and your plans will succeed. – Proverbs 16:3 NLT

When a man’s ways please the Lord,
he makes even his enemies to be at peace with him. – Proverbs 16:7 ESV

We can make our plans,
but the Lord determines our steps. – Proverbs 16:9 NLT

Wisdom isn’t just about what you know, but it also entails what you do with what you know. Even a man blessed with great wisdom can end up living like a fool if he fails to put all that knowledge to use. Wisdom is meant to be applied to daily life so that impacts our attitudes and actions.

While this Proverb appears to be a collection of disjointed one-liners that cover a variety of topics; on closer examination, there are two themes that run throughout the entire Proverb. One has to do with the path of our life and the plans we make to get where we think we’re supposed to go.

The other theme has to do with our speech or the words that come out of our mouths, and the impact they have on our lives and the lives of all those around us. The path we walk will end up affecting our speech and conduct. Throughout the Proverbs, life is pictured as a journey. It has a beginning and an end. There is a destination to life. And we are always thinking about where it is we’re going, how we’re going to get there, and why are journey is not turning out quite as we expected.

We make plans for our lives and those plans are ALWAYS influenced by something going on the inside as well as outside of ourselves. Jealousy, pride, self-centeredness, and the longing for power, possessions, and prominence can lead us down the wrong path. And choosing the errant path can have a huge impact on the way we live and the words we say.

This Proverb talks about wise speech, kind words, gossip, destructive words, righteous lips, and honest speech. The content of our speech is directly related to the conduct of our lives. Where we go will influence what we say. Foolish life choices will result in foolish words. But following the wise path will result in wise words.

So, who gets to decide the path of our lives? According to Solomon, we spend a lot of time trying to make arrangements and plans for the direction of our lives, but at the end of the day, God is the one who determines our steps.

A man may make designs for his way, but the Lord is the guide of his steps. – Proverbs 16:9 BBE

We may think we know what’s best for our lives, but only God truly knows how to get where we really need to go. In verse one, we read, “The intentions of the heart belong to a man, but the answer of the tongue comes from the Lord.”

This verse reminds us that we may arrange the contents of our minds and plan out all our thoughts, but it is God who gives us the capacity to put our thoughts into words. Plans become deeds. Thoughts become words. And both are related to the path we have chosen for our lives. We can choose to live our way or we can decide to live God’s way, to follow His path for our lives.

Commit your actions to the Lord, and your plans will succeed. – Proverbs 16:3 NLT

Turn over the direction for your life to God. Allow Him to determine your path and you will discover it always leads in the right direction. Following His path not only leads to the right destination, but it also produces a life marked by godliness, wisdom, and righteousness. When it comes to choosing the right path for our lives, most of us have a lousy sense of direction.

There is a path before each person that seems right, but it ends in death. – Proverbs 16:25 NLT

We need a GPS system. We need navigational assistance, and only God can provide it. Our way may seem right, but it will always turn out wrong. God’s way is the best way.

The highway of the upright is to turn away from evil; the one who guards his way safeguards his life. – Proverbs 16:17 NET

But there is more to life than simply choosing the right path. If we’re not careful, we can end up believing that, as long as we follow God’s will, all will be well. If we do things God’s way, we’ll never have to experience any trouble, trials, or tribulations.

“Unfailing love and faithfulness make atonement for sin. By fearing the Lord, people avoid evil.” – Proverbs 16:6 NLT

The entire book of Proverbs is like a compendium of sins, providing a running list of character traits and actions that flow from a life lived apart from God. It’s easy to read the book and simply walk away thinking that it’s up to us to choose a life of sin or a life of righteousness. It’s our responsibility to make the right choices and not the wrong ones. But NOT sinning will NOT make us righteous in God’s eyes. Not only that, according to the Scriptures, attempting to do righteous things will not win us brownie points with God either.

We are all infected and impure with sin. When we display our righteous deeds, they are nothing but filthy rags. – Isaiah 64:6 NLT

The apostle Paul reminds us, “As the Scriptures say, “No one is righteous— not even one” (Romans 3:10 NLT). And where did he get that idea? From the pen of Solomon’s father, King David.

Only fools say in their hearts, “There is no God.” They are corrupt, and their actions are evil; not one of them does good! – Psalm 14:1 NLT

We can try and live a life marked by righteous deeds. We can attempt to say no to sin. But if we leave God out of the equation, we will inevitably fail. Man is incapable of living a righteous life on his own, and any attempts he makes to sin less will produce less-than-positive results. As is always the case throughout the book of Proverbs, the fear of the Lord is the key to avoiding sin and pleasing God. It all begins with our relationship with Him. In verse 6, we’re told that if we want to avoid sin, we have to fear God. It’s not about keeping a list of dos and don’ts. More good behavior and less bad behavior do not equal righteousness. That is NOT the formula for living a truly righteous, God-honoring life. But in this verse, we do get the answer or key to living a life that pleases God and allows us to avoid sin.

By fearing the Lord, people avoid sin. – Proverbs 16:6 NLT

But what does that mean? The NET Bible translates the first part of this verse, “Through loyal love and truth iniquity is appeased.” The word translated as “appeased” or “atoned for” in this verse means that God’s anger against sin is turned away and God views him as though he had not sinned.

God’s holiness and righteousness demand that he punishes sin. He is required by law to deal justly with sin, and the penalty for sin is death. But this verse tells us that if we come to God, expressing unfailing love and faithfulness to Him, which is another way of saying that we are repentant of our sin, the anger of God is appeased. Genuine repentance, demonstrated by loyalty and truthfulness, appeases the anger of God against one’s sin. But there is not a person alive who can truly atone for their own sin. Without the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross, any attempt to atone for our own sins would be incomplete and insufficient to satisfy the just demands of God. Yet, because Jesus died in our place and took all our sins upon Himself, He was able to satisfy or appease God’s righteous wrath, so that God is now able to see us as righteous and sinless. Our sins were credited to Christ’s account and His righteousness was credited to ours.

Now, when we sin, we can repent by turning back to God in love and faithfulness, knowing that He will forgive any sin we commit because the debt has been paid in full by His Son on the cross. We can enjoy unbroken fellowship with God the Father simply by repenting of our sins and returning to Him. This attitude of humility and willing submission to Him is the fear of the Lord lived out in daily life, and it helps us avoid additional sin. Staying close to Him keeps us far from sin. When we stray from His presence, we get off the path He has determined for our lives and become easy prey for the enemy.

The Proverbs is not a list of righteous requirements we must keep in order to remain on good terms with God. It is a reminder that a life of holiness begins and ends with God. It begins and ends with a relationship with Him. He alone can make us holy. Recognizing our sins and repenting of them is how we show God we fear Him and acknowledge how much we need His help for staying on course. By fearing the Lord, people avoid sin. It all begins with God.

The Choice is Ours

June 8, 2022 / kdmiller55 / Leave a comment

¹Wisdom has built her house;
    she has hewn her seven pillars.
²She has slaughtered her beasts; she has mixed her wine;
    she has also set her table.
³She has sent out her young women to call
    from the highest places in the town,
⁴“Whoever is simple, let him turn in here!”
    To him who lacks sense she says,
⁵“Come, eat of my bread
    and drink of the wine I have mixed.
⁶Leave your simple ways, and live,
    and walk in the way of insight.”

⁷Whoever corrects a scoffer gets himself abuse,
    and he who reproves a wicked man incurs injury.
⁸Do not reprove a scoffer, or he will hate you;
    reprove a wise man, and he will love you.
⁹Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be still wiser;
    teach a righteous man, and he will increase in learning.
¹⁰The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom,
    and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight.
¹¹For by me your days will be multiplied,
    and years will be added to your life.
¹²If you are wise, you are wise for yourself;
    if you scoff, you alone will bear it.

¹³The woman Folly is loud;
    she is seductive and knows nothing.
¹⁴She sits at the door of her house;
    she takes a seat on the highest places of the town,
¹⁵calling to those who pass by,
    who are going straight on their way,
¹⁶“Whoever is simple, let him turn in here!”
    And to him who lacks sense she says,
¹⁷“Stolen water is sweet,
    and bread eaten in secret is pleasant.”
¹⁸But he does not know that the dead are there,
    that her guests are in the depths of Sheol. – Proverbs 9:1-18 ESV

In this Proverbs, Solomon portrays wisdom and folly as two women. One is industrious, a planner, and highly hospitable. She offers those who are “simple” the chance to dine at her table and gain good judgment and wisdom. She extends to them an opportunity to leave their simple ways behind and experience true life. Wisdom offers long life and the capacity to fear God and know Him intimately and deeply. The other woman, Folly, also calls out and offers her own invitation, but one with a completely different outcome. Folly is portrayed as a prostitute. She is brash and ignorant, yet doesn’t even know it. She too calls out to the simple and those lacking in judgment.

“‘Come in with me,’ she urges the simple. To those who lack good judgment, she says, ‘Stolen water is refreshing; food eaten in secret tastes the best!’” – Proverbs 9:16-17 NL

Two women. Two invitations. But depending on which invitation you accept, two diametrically opposed outcomes. One ends in life, the other in death. One offers wisdom and good judgment in place of foolishness and simplicity. The other can only offer sensual pleasures and immediate gratification of the senses, but really delivers disappointment and, ultimately, death.

The picture Solomon paints portrays life on this planet for each and every man and woman. Every day we are faced with two basic options: the way of wisdom as offered by God, or the way of folly or foolishness, that the world so tantalizingly and temptingly offers us. And every day, we are faced with the choice of one or the other.

The things of this world are so appealing. The ways of this world seem so logical and sensible. They appeal to our sin nature and focus on our physical senses. They have little to do with wisdom, understanding, common sense, or good judgment. And we’re not talking about intelligence, because even those with high IQs can be guilty of foolishness and live the life of the simpleminded. The Hebrew word used by Solomon for the “simple” person refers to one who is easily persuaded and enticed. They are naive. Satan and this world thrive on these kinds of people. And every person who walks on this planet IS that kind of person if they don’t have a relationship with God the Father through Jesus Christ the Son. They may be smart, successful, well-to-do, and even powerful, but they are ultimately simple-minded. They are dominated by their flesh and driven by their desires. They are susceptible to temptation and prone to live like fools. Why? Because they lack good judgment, common sense, wisdom, understanding, and the fear of God.

The key seems to be found in Wisdom’s invitation. “Leave your simple ways behind.” There has to be a point in time when you decide to acknowledge your propensity to be easily persuaded and enticed. Then you have to be willing to abandon that lifestyle for a better one. We have to choose to accept God’s invitation to sit at His table and feast on His wisdom. We must trade in our desire to satisfy our senses and choose God’s offer of understanding. We need to understand the times in which we live, the dangers that surround us, and our own tendency to live like fools. We need to understand and comprehend our incapacity to survive in this world without God. Without Him, we are easy targets for the enemy. God offers us wisdom. The world offers us folly. And every day we have a choice to make.

“But correct the wise and they will love you. Instruct the wise and they will be even wiser. Teach the righteous and they will learn even more.” – Proverbs 9:8-9 NLT

Nobody likes to be corrected, right? Who in their right mind likes to be rebuked, called out, or even judged by someone else? Just the thought of it can raise our blood pressure. It causes us to stiffen up and start defending our rights, protecting our territory and justifying our actions as just and right. But according to the book of Proverbs, there is a group of individuals, albeit a small group, who actually enjoy being corrected. In fact, if you do correct them, they will love you for it! Imagine that. Someone who actually loves being corrected.

Their response to correction is LOVE. The Hebrew word is ahab, and it is a verb that refers to human love for another. It is also translated as “friend” in the Old Testament. It is the word used to describe Abraham as the friend of God. When you correct a wise person, he actually views you as a friend, not an enemy. He takes your correction as a good thing, not a bad thing. He is grateful because he understands that correction is the key to change and maturity. Sometimes we can’t see our own faults. We are oblivious to our blind spots and we need the input of others to help us recognize areas of our lives that need work. The wise man knows he has faults, whether he sees them or not, and does not become defensive or angry when they are exposed. Instead, he loves the one who corrects him. He is grateful.

The wise person also accepts instruction willingly and gratefully. He is wise because he loves to learn. He has an appetite for knowledge, so he gladly accepts instruction from others. In the Hebrew text, the word “instruction” is not actually there. It simply says, “give to the wise.” It carries the idea of exchange or interaction. If you interact with a wise person, they will grow in wisdom. They love the exchange of ideas. They are not afraid to debate, discuss, or expose themselves to other viewpoints. They are not one-dimensional or closed to hearing the other side of an argument. They will gladly dialogue and grow wiser through the exchange. If their viewpoint is right, they will remain firm in their conviction. If they discover they are wrong, they will grow wiser from having had the discussion.

You can teach the wise. They are not so sure of themselves or set in their ways that they refuse to learn from others. The wise are constant learners. They learn from their mistakes. They learn vicariously, voraciously, and constantly. When we refuse to learn, we reveal that we are fools. Fools hate correction and instruction because they refuse to admit their own ignorance. They are content to remain foolish. Fools have a false view of life, seeing themselves as wise and everyone else as fools. The wise have a healthy view of life, seeing themselves as perpetual students with life as their schoolroom. Their perspective is based on a fear of God that results in humility and a growing dependence on Him. Their love of learning and acceptance of correction is based on their understanding that God is their teacher. He is the all-wise, all-knowing God who is constantly imparting His wisdom to them in a variety of ways through a myriad of sources. They see wisdom as a gift from God and learning as an opportunity, not a burden.

But as we have seen before, the search for wisdom begins with a healthy reverence or fear of God. The fear of the Lord, while a biblical topic, is not a popular one among most Christians today. We find it uncomfortable to talk about it because it sounds distasteful and unappealing to our modern-day sensibilities. In our minds, fear is to be avoided at all costs. It’s why we light up our homes like Christmas trees, hook them up with security systems, and lock them down at night. We want to remove all fear by providing as much security as we possibly can. But what motivates our actions? What causes us to put the security system in, install extra locks on the doors, and turn on the lights at night? It’s all motivated by fear. You see, in reality, fear can have a positive influence in our lives. And the fear of the Lord is one of the most positive and influential attitudes we can have.

In Proverbs 28:14, we’re told, “Happy is the man in whom is the fear of the Lord at all times; but he whose heart is hard will come into trouble.” There is a joy and contentment that comes with learning to fear God. It was the Puritan minister, John Bunyan, who referred to the fear of the Lord as a gift or grace from God. It is HIS fear that He places in OUR hearts. It is a recognition and realization of His holiness, righteousness, and power. It is an awareness of His singular role as the ruler over all the universe. Listen to John Bunyan’s description of the fear of the Lord:

Had God given thee all the world, yet cursed hadst thou been, if he had not given thee the fear of the Lord; for the fashion of this world is a fading thing, but he that feareth the Lord shall abide for ever and ever. This therefore is the first thing that I would propound for thy encouragement, thou man that fears the Lord. This grace will dwell in thy heart, for it is a new covenant grace, and will abide with thee for ever. It is sent to thee from God, not only to join thy heart unto him, but to keep thee from final apostasy—“I will put my fear in their hearts, that they shall not depart from me” (Jer 32:40). That thou mayest never forsake God, is his design, and therefore, to keep thee from that wicked thing, he hath put his fear in thy heart. Many are the temptations, difficulties, snares, traps, trials, and troubles that the people of God pass through in the world, but how shall they be kept, how shall they be delivered, and escape? Why, the answer is, The fear of God will keep them — “He that feareth God shall come forth of them all.”

The fear of the Lord is a grace. It is a gift from God that He places in our hearts and provides for us so that we might live for Him. It is not something to be avoided or feared. It is a motivating factor in our lives that produces wise behavior. It protects us, watches over us, guides us, motivates us, and keeps us centered on Him as our one true source for all that we need. The fear of the Lord keeps us from fearing man. Because I fear the Lord, I don’t need to fear financial loss or even physical death. My God is greater than both. It is when I learn to fear God for who He is that I will begin to grow in wisdom and understanding. Life will begin to make sense. I will see the world through a different set of lenses. I will gain a new perspective on reality. It is the foundation of wisdom. And as I grow to know God better and better, I will develop good judgment. He will give me the capacity to make wise choices and good decisions. I will instinctively know what to do and when to do it. But it all begins with the fear of the Lord. That’s a good thing.

Fear Foolishness.

January 29, 2017 / kdmiller55 / Leave a comment

When David’s young men came, they said all this to Nabal in the name of David, and then they waited. And Nabal answered David’s servants, “Who is David? Who is the son of Jesse? There are many servants these days who are breaking away from their masters. Shall I take my bread and my water and my meat that I have killed for my shearers and give it to men who come from I do not know where?” So David’s young men turned away and came back and told him all this. And David said to his men, “Every man strap on his sword!” And every man of them strapped on his sword. David also strapped on his sword. And about four hundred men went up after David, while two hundred remained with the baggage.

But one of the young men told Abigail, Nabal’s wife, “Behold, David sent messengers out of the wilderness to greet our master, and he railed at them. Yet the men were very good to us, and we suffered no harm, and we did not miss anything when we were in the fields, as long as we went with them. They were a wall to us both by night and by day, all the while we were with them keeping the sheep. Now therefore know this and consider what you should do, for harm is determined against our master and against all his house, and he is such a worthless man that one cannot speak to him.” – 1 Samuel 25:9-17 ESV

We discover in these verses that Nabal was a man who lived up to his name, which happened to mean “fool”. He had all the classic characteristics of a biblical fool.

The way of a fool is right in his own eyes,
but a wise man listens to advice. – Proverbs 12:15 ESV

The wise don’t make a show of their knowledge,
but fools broadcast their foolishness. – Proverbs 12:23 NLT

Short-tempered people do foolish things… – Proverbs 14:17 NLT

He was arrogant, full of himself, quick-tempered, resistant to counsel, and ignorant of the consequences of his behavior. He treated David, a mighty warrior, as if he were a nobody. He showed him no honor or respect. He looked down his nose at him, foolishly saying, “Who does this son of Jesse think he is? There are lots of servants these days who run away from their masters. Should I take my bread and my water and my meat that I’ve slaughtered for my shearers and give it to a band of outlaws who come from who knows where?” (1 Samuel 25:10-11 NLT). He knew exactly who David was. Even the Philistines had heard about David’s reputation as a mighty warrior. But Nabal, knowing that David was a man on the run, made a very foolish decision to treat David with disrespect and disdain.

One of Nabal’s shepherds, when he had witnessed what his foolish master had done, ran and told Abigail, Nabal’s wife. Even his words reveal the depth of Nabal’s problem: “he is such a worthless man that one cannot speak to him” (1 Samuel 25:17 ESV). Nabal’s foolishness ran so deep that he could not even recognize the folly and danger of his own actions. And he was totally resistant to the wise counsel of those around him who might have been able to protect him had he only listened.

What would have possessed Nabal to act so foolishly and risk the wrath of someone as powerful as David? We have to remember that, according to the Bible, foolishness is not a mental or psychological problem, it is spiritual. At the heart of Nabal’s folly was lack of respect for and fear of God. He had placed himself at the center of his own life, making himself his own god and arbiter of his own fate. Ultimately, foolishness is the lack of wisdom. And Psalm 111 tells us:

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom;
all those who practice it have a good understanding. – Psalm 111:19 ESV

Scripture repeatedly warns us that a person who denies, ignores, or neglects God lacks wisdom and inevitably displays the characteristics of a fool.

He acts thoughtlessly: He gives little or no thought to God; refusing to consider the truth about God. His treatment of others is simply a byproduct of his lack of thought regarding God’s holiness and judgment.
He becomes dull-minded: When a man fails to consider God, his mind becomes dulled by the things of this world. He begins to lose the ability to see clearly, having his spiritual vision clouded by materialism, success, comfort, and pleasure. not being sharp in his thoughts about God. His mind becomes intoxicated with the things of this world and he sluggish toward God.
He becomes senseless: A man who neglects God finds himself lacking in wisdom and acting contrary to good common sense. Because he is deficient in his thoughts about God, he becomes in his ability to think clearly and sensibly. He may be smart and successful, but he will be plagued by senseless decision-making and the harmful outcomes it brings.
He will be without understanding: Because he fails to grasp or comprehend God; he will end up with wrong conclusions or thoughts about God. He will wrongly assume that God is not there or that God does not care about what he is doing. He will make godless decisions because he is essentially living a God-less life.
He will exhibit an ignorance of God: He won’t truly know God. Because he has left God out of his thought processes, he will display behavior that reveals his faulty understand of God. He won’t fear God’s holiness. He won’t worry about God’s judgment. He won’t seek God’s wisdom. He won’t see a need for God’s forgiveness.
He will be unwise: Without God in his life, he will lack wisdom. If fact, regardless of what he tries to do, he will act contrary to wisdom. His behavior will make sense to him, but it will actually lead to dangerous and foolish outcomes.

These characteristics, while true of the lost, should be especially scary to the believer, because any of us can exhibit these same qualities at any time. All it takes is for us to neglect God in our lives, to fail to fear Him and treat Him with the honor, respect and worship He is due. When we leave God out of our lives, we open up the door to foolishness. Foolishness if nothing more than a lack of wisdom and, as the psalmist said, the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.

Nabal was a fool because Nabal was ungodly. If he didn’t fear God, why in the world would he fear David? If he was willing to treat God with disrespect, what would prevent him from treating David the same way?

It is interesting to note that, in the Proverbs, there are five different types of fools mentioned. They seem to run on a continuum, moving from bad to worse. There is the simple fool, the silly fool, the sensual fool, the scornful fool and the stubborn fool. Each is characterized by a different Hebrew word. The last one, the stubborn fool, is the word, “nâbâl”, which just happens to be the name of the character in our story.

According to the Proverbs, this is the most dangerous type of fool. A stubborn fool rejects God and His ways. He is self-confident and close-minded. He is his own god, freely gratifying his own sin nature. It is his goal to draw as many others as possible into following his ways. His actions tend to impact all those around him, just as Nabal’s actions were going to result in the deaths of all those around him. The Proverbs make it clear that only God can reprove a stubborn fool. And we will see in the story that, while David had a heart for God, he ran the risk of acting foolishly himself. He was going to let the foolish actions of Nabal cause him to respond in a godless, foolish way. But wiser heads would prevail.

New Living Translation (NLT)
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Proverbs 9d

November 9, 2012 / kdmiller55 / Leave a comment

Don’t Fear the Fear of the Lord.

“Fear of the Lord is the foundation of wisdom. Knowledge of the Holy One results in good judgment.” – Proverbs 9:10 NLT

The fear of the Lord, while a biblical topic, is not a popular one among most Christians today. We find it uncomfortable talking about it because it sounds distasteful and unappealing to our sensibilities. In our minds, fear is to be avoided at all costs. It’s why we light up our homes like Christmas trees, hook them up with security systems, and lock them tight at night. We want to remove all fear by providing as much security as we possibly can. But what motivated our actions? What caused us to put the security system in, install extra locks on the doors, and turn on the lights at night? It was all motivated by fear. You see, in reality, fear can be a very positive influence in our lives. And the fear of the Lord is one of the positively influential attitudes we can pursue. Over in Proverbs 28:14, we’re told, “Happy is the man in whom is the fear of the Lord at all times; but he whose heart is hard will come into trouble.” There is a joy and contentment that comes with learning to fear God. It was the Puritan minister, John Bunyan, who referred to the fear of the Lord as a gift or grace from God. It is HIS fear that He places in OUR hearts. It is a holy recognition and realization of His holiness, righteousness, power, and singular role as the ruler over all the universe. Listen to John Bunyan’s description of the fear of the Lord:

Had God given thee all the world, yet cursed hadst thou been, if he had not given thee the fear of the Lord; for the fashion of this world is a fading thing, but he that feareth the Lord shall abide for ever and ever. This therefore is the first thing that I would propound for thy encouragement, thou man that fears the Lord. This grace will dwell in thy heart, for it is a new covenant grace, and will abide with thee for ever. It is sent to thee from God, not only to join thy heart unto him, but to keep thee from final apostasy—“I will put my fear in their hearts, that they shall not depart from me” (Jer 32:40). That thou mayest never forsake God, is his design, and therefore, to keep thee from that wicked thing, he hath put his fear in thy heart. Many are the temptations, difficulties, snares, traps, trials, and troubles that the people of God pass through in the world, but how shall they be kept, how shall they be delivered, and escape? Why, the answer is, The fear of God will keep them — “He that feareth God shall come forth of them all.”

Father, help me to see the fear of You as a good thing, not a bad thing. Help me to understand that it is not an aversion to You or a dread of You. It is a healthy, wholesome respect for and recognition of who You are and a realization of just how much I need You to thrive in this life. Amen

Ken Miller
Grow Pastor & Minister to Men
kenm@christchapelbc.org

Devotionary

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the fear of the Lord