February 5, 2026 -- Proverbs 1:7 -- What are you choosing?

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People loved by the Father, in the Spirit's power: Sh'ma ~ hear and obey Jesus!

The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge;
fools despise wisdom and instruction.
Proverbs 1:7 ESV
 
Choose this day whom you will serve! Will you serve the LORD in the holy fear of His Name, or will you, like a fool rushing headlong to hell, despise wisdom and instruction? Let me ask you a question: Who is the Bible written for? The Holy Spirit working through the gifts and personalities of ordinary men, inspired them to record the fully accurate, fully reliable word of God. The Word of God is for the people of God. The Holy Spirit preserved the Word of God through-out all generations. Those who are wise, that is, people who belong to God through the accomplished work of Jesus Christ, willingly and readily receive instruction and learning. Then, believers apply the word of God to their lives. Believers in their living and talking reflect the glory of God and saints are encouraged and sinners are called to repentance. The word of God challenges believers to reconsider their ways. Just because someone seems to walk in Christ, seem one day to be doing well, doesn’t mean he is well. The human heart is deceptive above all things. You can easily fool yourself. You might think you are following God, when in fact, you are pursuing your own comfort, or your own interpretation, or your own will.
 
John Calvin noted that for a believer to truly know God, he must first know himself. His own sinfulness. His raison d’être. A child of God will, in humility and awe, examine himself, or herself in the light of the Word of God. The Holy Spirit will continually sanctify, that is, make holy, the one who believes in God. The design of what you will be is already set out for each one in the plan of God, the work is progressing. You are God’s workmanship, currently under-construction. The more you are conformed to the will and image of God, the more you’ll see your flaws and imperfections. The closer you are to completion in Christ, the more each imperfection will mar your conscience and affect your walk with God. You will become impatient to be more like Jesus.
 

  • The fear of the LORD disquiets the soul, keeping it from falsely being content with anything less than being perfect, as God is perfect.

  • The fear of the LORD is a holy dedication to our Father. To be so utterly loved by God means one desires to be more like Him. Any sin, any deficiency of conformity to His will, is odious to the believer. The believer knows he is loved by God and wants to fully, perfectly, daily, love Him. So, that believer, discovering something (many things) which needs to be removed so the pathway of greater love for God and truer love for neighbour can be regained, he will gladly chuck it away from himself. “I will run in the way of your commands when you enlarge my heart” Psalm 119:32. Our heart is enlarged, made more roomy for the fullest presence of God, as every sin is cast down and every secret idol exposed and thrown into the latrine.

  • The fear of the LORD raises in the believer the awareness of how much sin continually hinders the relationship. A pastoral counselor I know uses this counseling technique with couples who struggle. “Sweetheart, if you could tell me anything about me, knowing that I won’t respond in anger or frustration, but will listen intently and with an open heart and mind, what would you have me know about myself? What am I doing wrong? What is bothering you?” Many folks reading this wince because they are afraid of the litany of wrongs their spouse, who lives seemingly-contentedly with them, might have to recite. Believers know they are sinful. They easily keep a record of wrongs against others. Can cite the evidence of greed, or anger and so on they easily detect in others…though maybe not so easily recognize in themselves. The LORD will, in the quiet of prayer time, in the intimacy of Bible study, show you your wayward heart, your insolence, your pride, your wicked proclivities. He will show it, so you can confess. Confessing and repenting of it, you can walk in deeper fellowship. It is the kindness of God that leads to repentance (Romans 2:4).

 
Dear fellow believer, do you know yourself? Does the light of God’s love and the glory He has in store for you jump off Scripture’s page? Do you thirst, like a parched man, dry-throated, long for the living water found in the Word of God? When you drink deeply your soul will be satisfied. Your conscience will be excited, because you will realize it was your own out-of-alignment-with-God desires which caused you to wander into the desert of sin in the first place. You’ll confess it. Desire to stay near the well of Living Water, Jesus Himself.
 
Father in heaven, thank You for the treasure of Your Word. Thank You for the glorious work of Jesus Christ, Who is the radiance of Your glory, the only righteous One, Your appointed Redeemer for our abject neediness. Father in heaven, pour out Your Spirit, so that the Word will be a rich banquet to our starving souls and instruction in knowledge to our minds. We confess, how readily we despise wisdom and chafe against instruction. Quiet our souls. Humble our hearts. Feed us until we realize our complete satisfaction is found in You alone. Amen.
 
https://youtu.be/sXgCi5mhRYM?si=LXqa9jNkLwLVc62r Whiter than Snow
 

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