April 17, 2026 -- Proverbs 9:10 -- Delighting in the fear of the LORD

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The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom,
and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight. Proverbs 9:10 ESV
 
The fear of the LORD is a key description of one who is submitted to God. Jesus was filled with the Spirit (John 3:34). The Holy Spirit is described in Revelation as the seven-fold Spirit (Revelation 1:4). Elsewhere in Scripture, one learns the seven-fold nature of the Spirit. The Spirit is: the Spirit of the LORD, of wisdom, of understanding, of counsel, of might, of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD (Isaiah 11:2). It is added, in the next verse, that the one so filled with the Holy Spirit “shall delight in the fear of the LORD” (Isaiah 11:3a).
 
The fear of the LORD is pleasurable for the Christian. As Jesus walked this earth, without a fear of what people would do to Him, so the person submitted to God, will walk in obedience to Jesus, without fear of what people can do against him. Jesus even described His obedience to the Father as His food (John 4:34). Jesus delighted in the fear of the LORD, it is what sustained Him through-out His life.
 
The fear of the LORD is the foundation for a healthy Christian walk. If you are serving Jesus, but always afraid of what others will think about you, or how they will act against you, you are in fact serving your desire to be popular, rather than humbly serving Jesus. You can’t serve God wholeheartedly if you are afraid of what others will think. The people around you will eventually extinguish your service to God.
 
Jesus addressed this fear of man in the Parable of the Sower (it is one that you can find in Matthew, Mark and Luke). When the seed falls on rocky soil it springs up quickly, joyfully receiving the word at first. Jesus goes on to explain “they have no root in themselves, but endure for a while; then, when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the world, immediately they fall away” (Mark 4:17).
 
What are you afraid of? That fear will govern your life. If you are afraid of poverty, you’ll be money hungry; insatiably wanting more of it. If you are afraid of death, you’ll become a hypervigilant health nut. If you are afraid of the mocking of others, you’ll be ruled by their opinion of you. Those who walk in the fear of the LORD find they have great gain. God gives new life in Christ. God blesses such men and women with the powerful, indwelling Holy Spirit. God’s purposes for the life of His son or daughter are the reliable guide for every day and are infinitely more delightful than anything the world offers.
 
Father in heaven, great is Your Name, and glorious the salvation and new life You give to Your children in Christ. As is promised in the word, by Your Spirit, help us to work out our salvation with fear and trembling, knowing it is You Who works in us. Let Your good pleasure govern our days and so fill our nights that we will walk in the delight of the fear of the LORD. Amen.
 
https://youtu.be/CyHbdqB8kto?si=N4hKTRiLKNwLei0i I Surrender All
 

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