Give thanks to the Lord

How are things between you and God at this time? Are you OK with the idea that both of you can go your separate ways, you will not bother God as long as he does not bother you? Or is there a nagging feeling that God is going to expect something from you that you don’t want to think about? Do you wake up sometimes with the fear that God is going to hurt you in some way or another? Or do you love God and regularly read His Word and pray to Him?

The book of Proverbs is a collection of the wise sayings of Solomon. Here is one of them: “the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom” (8:10).

This is not the fear of a slave who is going to be punished in one way or another. This is a holy awe of God, respect for God. The mighty acts of God are the source of such a fear.

With almighty power, He created the heavens and the earth, showing His wisdom in the way all things work. In His grace, He chose a certain people called the People of Israel and through them revealed His commandments for all people.

In His love, He gave His only begotten Son to rescue all people from the threatened darkness of death and offers them life everlasting on the simple condition: that they believe in the Son of God. There is one God, not many gods. When you think of all that this one God has done for all people, a holy awe settles upon our soul, respect and love. That is summed up in the word fear. Such a love and respect for God moves me to want to do what pleases Him.

That attitude toward God is the beginning of wisdom; we are happy to hear His Word and take it to heart, we look forward to the opportunity to hear more of it, we accept His Word at face value and do not resent it when it makes us uncomfortable. Wisdom convinces us to examine the reason for the discomfort and make the necessary changes in our life so that the Word gives us comfort. Instructing a wise person will make a person wiser; try to instruct a scoffer and you run the risk of being attacked.

Give thanks to God for the wisdom that He has given to you; pray for those who scoff at the Word of the Lord.

Elmer Schiefer
Pastor, Family of Christ Lutheran Church
elmer@myglobalemail.com
573-529-0584