The Fear of the Lord is a Motivator
Proverbs 14:2, 26-27 NKJ
He who walks in his uprightness fears the Lord,
But he who is perverse in his ways despises Him.
In the fear of the Lord there is strong confidence,
And His children will have a place of refuge.
The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life,
To turn one away from the snares of death.
The fear of the Lord is something the Scriptures address, but we don’t hear of it much in the public sector. Even in church circles, you don’t often hear people reference having a fear of God. And yet the fear of God is a motivator for good and a motivator to avoid evil.
Verse two says that someone who walks in his uprightness fears the Lord. Walking in uprightness involves doing what you know to be right. The more we know, the closer we walk. I was appalled when attending Bible school that one of my good friends thought he preached better after having a few beers. I was raised in a strict Southern Baptist home where neither parent drank or smoked. My friend was raised in a Boston home with an Italian Catholic mother and a Jewish father. Needless to say, our perspectives on drinking were vastly different. Later, my friend came to understand that beers were not needed in order to effectively share the gospel. So as he learned and grew, he walked in greater uprightness. But having a fear of God, a reverence and respect for God, will cause us to walk right. To walk in perverse ways, ways in opposition to God’s ways, is a sign that we despise God. Despise, in this context, is not dislike but rather thinking very lightly of. When we hold God in high esteem, it motivates us to live right. When we think lightly of the Lord, it opens us to walking in ways we know to be wrong.
In the fear, the reverential respect and honor of God, there is a strong confidence. To respect God is to have confidence in Him, and it produces confidence in us. With a strong confidence in God, our homes are places of safety and refuge. Homes where God is honored and respected are homes with great potential for strength. What a great motivator. To live in a home that provides a safe place for our children.
And the fear of the Lord is a fountain of life. I like that visual. The fear of the Lord is not a cross we must bear. Nor is it a burden that is hard for us to shoulder. The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life. Good things come from a fountain of life. And this fountain turns us away from the sin and death that would trap us.
Prayer
Lord, I have such respect for You and such appreciation for what You have done for me. Respect and honor for You work the right things in my life.