InTouch Magazine - March 2022

Dear friends,

I am sure that we all know Psalm 11:10

‘The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom’.

But what is the fear of the Lord? Is it to be afraid of God? No, to be afraid in this sense is slavish fear or apprehension, or fear to do with punishment. The fear of the Lord is the fear of a loving child or a dutiful servant. It is to show respect and reverence for God, that the one who fears Him is gripped by a holy desire to please Him. So why is it the beginning of wisdom?

Well, the answer is, simply, that when a man fears the Lord it implies he has started to know God. It’s a healthy balance of knowing what God is capable of doing and what God is. God is holy, God is pure, God judges, but God is a God of love, gracious, kind and tender. For that reason, a man who fears the Lord will turn from his sin and live a godly life as he aims to always please the Lord.

Let there’s tremendous blessing in fearing the Lord. When a person fears the Lord he is filled with deep assurance. He knows his sins are forgiven. He knows his provision is from the Lord. He knows the truth and he knows eternal life. This produces true joy and satisfaction. Remember how God has promised great reward to those who fear Him, seen in Proverbs 22:4

‘Humility and the fear of the Lord bring wealth and honour and life’.

May we as Christians contrive to live in fearing the Lord with godly wisdom.

Yours in Christ,
Pastor Tim

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