Beginning with the fear of the LORD deals with the heart: The heart of the issue is the heart.
We must understand our most formidable obstacle. “We have met the enemy and they is us.” We cannot deal with our hearts on our own.
- The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it (Jeremiah 17:9 NIV)?
Allowing the word of God to do its work in our hearts is our only hope.
- For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart (Hebrews 4:12 NIV).
- The fear of the LORD is the instruction of wisdom, And before honor is humility (Proverbs 15:33 NKJV).
All the Bible study in the world will not help us overcome the barrier of a heart not dealt with before our God.
The absolute necessity of beginning our journey in the fear of the LORD cannot be overstated. We can see this necessary beginning – bowing before God – illustrated and explained in life, even in our own lives, if we look. We must place our hearts in God’s hands.
- 2.1b.1 The process of wisdom living begins when we place our hearts in God’s hands.
This is what we do when we submit to the fear of the LORD, the knowledge of the Holy One. We place our lives in the Master’s hands. Possibly the following will help us to do just that.
2.1b.2 Allow God to develop in us an appreciation for the restoration process of people, including ourselves.
The Craftsman’s vision.
Entering into the fear of the LORD begins a process of rebuke and restoration. If you have ever seen a craftsmen (or even better, you have done it yourself) restore a worn-out or broken piece of furniture or an automobile or an antique toy, or have just cleaned something up and made it useful again, then this may help you understand the process of submitting ourselves to the reverence of God. When we can even get a glimpse of God’s vision for our lives, it helps us tremendously in our decision to submit to his process.
- 2.1b.3 Allow the process of restoration to speak to us.
You can appreciate this if you can appreciate the 1955 Chevrolet completely restored or a totally refinished table c.1874. Restoration speaks to us. The process of a craftsmen restoring what once looked to be junk enamors us. And even better when the craftsman was the only one who saw any value in the “junk” before it was restored. - 2.1b.4 Look at ourselves as God’s projects that he values greatly.
First of all, the craftsmen sees value in the broken object or he would not waste his time, as God sees value in each of us or he would not have “wasted” his time in sending Jesus Christ to redeem and rebuild.
- For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them (Ephesians 2:10 NKJV).
2.1b.5 Be convinced of the success of the project.
The entire project has already been financed.
The shed blood of Jesus Christ is the full payment. God will not waste his investment. Know and learn God’s truth concerning the facts of your salvation. God doesn’t build junk, and he does not partially restore junk. If his name goes on it, which it does, then the finished product will be absolutely perfect.
- What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things (Romans 8:31-32 NKJV)?
Back to the fear of the LORD.
Where do we start allowing the words of God to have God’s intended restorative effect? When we bow before God and surrender ourselves to his process.
(Excerpt from Living by the Words of God by David Lee Scott © 2004 by David Lee Scott. All rights reserved, pp. 37-39.)
