October 20, 2017
FEAR GOD? WHY?
Proverbs 15:12-22
TJ Schieber
Central Truth
Understanding who God is should be your number one priority. Spend your resources (time, money, energy, etc.) learning who God is and what He has done for you. It will bless you more than anything else in the world.
Key Verse | Proverbs 15:16
Better is a little with the fear of the Lord
than great treasure and trouble with it.
(Proverbs 15:16)
Proverbs 15:12-22
12
A scoffer does not like to be reproved;
he will not go to the wise.
13
A glad heart makes a cheerful face,
but by sorrow of heart the spirit is crushed.
14
The heart of him who has understanding seeks knowledge,
but the mouths of fools feed on folly.
15
All the days of the afflicted are evil,
but the cheerful of heart has a continual feast.
16
Better is a little with the fear of the LORD
than great treasure and trouble with it.
17
Better is a dinner of herbs where love is
than a fattened ox and hatred with it.
18
A hot-tempered man stirs up strife,
but he who is slow to anger quiets contention.
19
The way of a sluggard is like a hedge of thorns,
but the path of the upright is a level highway.
20
A wise son makes a glad father,
but a foolish man despises his mother.
21
Folly is a joy to him who lacks sense,
but a man of understanding walks straight ahead.
22
Without counsel plans fail,
but with many advisers they succeed.
Dive Deeper | Proverbs 15:12-22
It would be ludicrous for me as an engineer to design a five-star 110-story hotel if its foundation were made of sand. I would end up on the television program Engineering Disasters, and my life would be a mess with all the lawsuits coming my way. All good engineers know that if you aren’t willing to allocate enough resources into the foundation, then the project should be scrapped before it begins. The foundation HAS to be the priority.
Don’t get me wrong. I love nice hotels with soft beds, clean sheets, great views, delicious food, fancy shower heads, and all the amenities. But that’s not the point. Without a good foundation, those good things are irrelevant. They won't exist for very long if they are in a hotel built on a faulty foundation.
Solomon makes this point in verses 16-17.
Great treasure can be a good thing, but it is irrelevant if I don’t fear the Lord first. The fear of the Lord is the foundation on which I must build my life. Keep in mind, to fear the Lord is Solomon’s concluding admonition in Ecclesiastes (12:13) and is mentioned 15+ times in Proverbs. So it is not just a one-verse proverb we are dealing with here.
The fear of the Lord is a BIG deal.
But what does that even mean to "fear the Lord"? In this context, it does not mean to be afraid. Rather it means to revere and be in awe of who God is. I believe it really means to have an accurate view of God’s character, because if your view of God is accurate, then it is impossible not to revere Him and be in awe of Him.
This truth is reflected in my life daily. When my priorities are straight and I am actively learning more about who God is and responding to that understanding, then I am at my best. When I skip quiet times, stop giving, decide sin isn’t a big deal, and obsess about myself, I am at my worst regardless of my worldly circumstances.
Discussion Questions
1. How much time do you spend trying to learn who God is?
2. When was the last time you audited your life to see if your use of resources match what your priorities should be?
3. What is the foundation for your life? How is that working out for you?