WEEK 9 – DAY 2

AWESOME

The [reverent] fear of the Lord [that is, worshiping Him and regarding Him as truly awesome] is the beginning and the preeminent part of wisdom [its starting point and its essence], And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding and spiritual insight. Proverbs 9:10 (AMP)

Do we fear the Lord? Many say, “Oh that word just means “reverence.” We looked up the Hebrew word for “fear” in Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible and saw the synonyms listed there are “reverence” and “dreadful.” Those who have not yet trusted Jesus have ample cause to fear and dread the all-powerful, all-knowing, everywhere-present Creator of the universe. This fear helps us realize our need of mercy and grace. We often water down the words of scripture. The Amplified version says we regard God as “truly awesome.” Talk about a watered-down word! People describe their spouse, their pet, even their purse as awesome! Webster defines awe as follows:

AWE, noun aw. [Gr. to be astonished.]

1. Fear mingled with admiration or reverence; reverential fear.

2. Fear; dread inspired by something great, or terrific.

If “awesome” is inspiring awe, can your purse really be awesome? Can even your spouse be awesome? “Awesome” is best reserved for describing God and His miraculous works. That awe of the Lord is where wisdom begins. That awe helps us to realize that we can never raise ourselves to His level, can never be completely obedient to His laws. However, then the marvelous occurs when the Holy Spirit draws us to Him by His kindness and leads us to repentance (Romans 2:4). The almighty God opens the eyes of those who fear Him to see that He is not only the all-powerful, righteous Judge, but is also the embodiment of love, mercy, and grace. Now that is truly awesome!

Father, help us to have a healthy fear of You and in light of that fear, a greater appreciation of Your love and grace toward us even when we were sinners (Romans 5:8). May we stand in awe of Your work in and through our lives every day!