From Hopscotch to Holiness

Growing In Wisdom25Isaiah 33: 5-6 “The LORD is exalted, for he dwells on high; he will fill Zionwith justice and righteousness. He will be a sure foundation for yourtimes, a rich store of salvation and wisdom and knowledge; the fear ofthe LORD is the key to this treasure.” Do you want the key to salvation,wisdom, and knowledge? I do! The fear of the Lord is that key.Here are some helpful definitions taken from Vine’s Expository Dictionaryof New Testament Words. The fear of the Lord is reverence for God thatleads to obedience because we realize his power and love. The fear ofthe Lord is reverence for God as the controlling motive of life. In addition,it is a desire to please God because of reverence for who he is and awholesome dread of displeasing him.We can infer from these definitions that fear of the Lord is biblical, healthy,and vital. It will enable us to focus on living a life that pleases the Lord.Another helpful scripture is Deuteronomy 10:12-13. “And now, Israel,what does the Lord your God ask of you but to fear the Lord your God, towalk in obedience to him, to love him, to serve the Lord your God with allyour heart and with all your soul, and to observe the Lord’s commandsand decrees that I am giving you today for your own good?” From thisadded definition, we see that fear of the Lord includes walking in God’sways, loving him and serving him with all your heart and with all yoursoul. In addition, our obedience to the Lord comes out of love because weunderstand that obeying God is for our own well-being. Understandingthe connection between the fear of the Lord and wisdom will promoteour growth in the Lord.