Virtuous: A Devotional for WomenSample

From Fear to Awe

Key Verse:

"The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding." - Proverbs 9:10

Reading:

A lesson we see in the Scriptures is that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. But have you ever wondered what exactly is the fear of the Lord? And how do I get it? Take a moment and think about a time when you were really afraid. What caused you to fear? What was the outcome? What happens the next time you face a similar situation?

I remember a time when my husband and I were afraid that we might lose our house. Now God provided miraculously. He turned everything around in 10 minutes, even after the bank's deadline, which told us that the banks were not in control, God was in control, and man's deadlines bow to him. So now, when similar circumstances arise, we go back and we recount what God did for us. And it reminds us that He is our provider, not man. My husband, Robert, had a kidney transplant in 2013. I remember early on, when his kidney numbers were failing. I couldn't sleep, I went out in the living room, you know, to wrestle with myself and God, and an overwhelming fear came over me as I realized that Robert might die, and I would be left alone. Honestly, it was almost too much for me. I had faced the possibility of my death years before, and the Lord had given me his peace. And that stayed with me throughout the years. But the idea of losing Robert required that I grow into a different kind of faith. God told me that I had to begin to accept everything, as from his hand, for my good and His glory.

Submitting to God is a choice, and it is always because He has shown Himself trustworthy that we finally submit. There's a huge difference between humility and humiliation. To fear implies a perception of evil interaction, and it carries with it an aspect of humiliation. Trust that comes from humility, on the other hand, rests on the knowledge that the person you're trusting has your best interests at heart, that they are true to their word and trustworthy, and can do what they say they're going to do. While you recognize their position of power, there's no fear because you trust that they will not harm you. Well, man can't always do what he says he's going to do, no matter how much he wants to, but God can and will and always does show His love for us.

The Bible says that true love casts out all fear. Fear of man or circumstances comes from the same place as the fear of God. Merriam-Webster says that reverence is respect or esteem, honor, or deference. It is this construct of deference that joins the ideas of fear and reverence when we pay honor or defer to someone. It's because we believe in some respect, they are more and we are less. This might be by virtue of their position; think about the president of a company or a country, or of someone with an exceptional quality or ability, such as a noted Bible scholar or a sports figure, or a movie star. I know I was intimidated by academic scholars, and I felt inferior to my professors. Sometimes we fear a person because they actually can harm us, and so we defer to them to avoid punishment. Why God deserves our reverence is what many call holy fear, by His position as Sovereign King of the universe, by His power, exhibited in His creation of the universe, because He is The Sustainer of all life, where the fear of man or circumstances differs from a healthy fear of God is in the moral component. Moral is defined as of or relating to right and wrong behavior. Righteousness and sin are similar in connotation; righteousness is tending to the right hand, and sin is missing the mark or veering off the path. Jesus tells us that right and wrong behaviors begin in our hearts, and they're a product of our thoughts. So when we look at God, we examine his thoughts toward man, and Scripture tells us God is always and only good. His thoughts, His ways, are always righteous; they never veer off the path. And because he's always good, we can know that he holds our life in his hands, and we don't have to be afraid that he's gonna snap his fingers and take our life away arbitrarily.

When we encounter evil or hardships, we can know that God allows it for our good and His glory, because He tells us over and over His great love for us. And we know He has our best interests at heart. Before I received Christ Jesus into my life, I was afraid of God. I knew I was sinful, but I didn't know that He loved me. I think I thought that He's kind of good, but I didn't understand that everything He does is good. Once we're transformed, our fear of God changes to awe as He begins to reveal Himself to us. We're in awe of His purity, holiness, righteousness, goodness, kindness, and power.

A couple of examples of reverence in Scripture are Mary, the mother of Jesus. When Gabriel, the angel, came to tell her of her pregnancy, she wasn't married. Being pregnant out of wedlock, in her day, was punishable by death. However, her response shows the deep reverence she had for God: "Let it be done to me, as you have spoken". The other example is Esther when she goes to King Xerxes to plead for her people. In her request, she says if it is pleasing to the King and if she has found favor in His eyes. Her words indicate she understands his position of leadership and authority. She recognizes that he has an overall plan for his kingdom and his reign, and that he is sovereign. She also recognizes that his evaluation of her motives is important. I use this as my example for prayer when I approach our Heavenly Father. I know when He looks at me, He sees Jesus. But as I go through the request process, His will is all that matters, because He can see everything, and He has a plan that He's allowing me to participate in. I also know that He wants me to bring my desires to Him because he cares about what I care about.

Reflection:

1. God's Works: Are you seeing God work in your life to bring you to total trust in His goodness and His love for you?
2. Fear's Hold: Are there areas where fear of man or circumstances still has a hold on you?
3. Prayerful Request: Can you bring your fears to God in prayer?

Prayer:

Dear Heavenly Father, today I thank you for your goodness and your unfathomable love for us. I pray that we look up to You in awe and that we cling to the promise that Your plan is better. I ask that as we bring our fears to You, You will give us peace and confidence in You. May You bless these women richly and be with them as they walk in the path You've created for them. In Jesus' name, Amen.