Proverbs 1:7a,
"The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge."
The Bible
tells us that we are to live our lives here on earth in the fear of the Lord: "Since you call on a Father
who judges each man's work impartially,
live your lives as strangers here in reverent fear" (1 Pet. 1:17). What does it mean to live our
lives in the fear of the Lord?
Negatively, it
does not mean we are to live our lives in dread. Once we are saved
through faith in Christ, we are the beloved children of God, accepted and loved by Him through Christ. To
be in dread of Him is to dishonour Christ
who has saved us from our sins. Positively, to live in the fear of the Lord means to be conscious of His rule
in our lives, and to seek to honour
Him and glorify Him in all our ways. It means to be conscious of the fact that we are His children and His
representatives here on earth. It means
to be more and more like Christ in all our ways.
Let us pray each
day that the Spirit of God who lives in us would enable us to live our lives in the fear of God in the
midst of a world that needs to know
Him and His love in their lives.
(overseas mission partner)