Five Steps Towards Godly Wisdom: Fear God (Part 2 of 2)

Five Steps Towards Godly Wisdom: Fear God (Part 2 of 2)

Job 28:28

“And to man He said, ‘Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil is understanding.’”

Many of us have a lot of serious questions about the book of Job. What was going on there? Why did all that stuff happen to Job? He was a righteous man, right?

Well, let’s take a look at Job and his idea of righteousness. In Job 28:28, Job says that wisdom starts with fearing God. So, what does it mean to fear God?

Fearing God isn’t just about dread, terror and quivering in your boots. Don’t get me wrong, being afraid in the presence of His holiness is definitely a part of fearing God. But, what the Bible means when it talks about fearing God is that we need to have a proper understanding of who God is and who we are. What I mean is that we need to recognize who is Lord and who is the created servant of that Lord.

In short, we are here for Him, not He for us. We exist for His glory, not ours.

John Stott put it best when he said this: "In heaven there is a throne and on that throne someone sits. Eventually, we all must come to terms with what a throne means and what is done there. A throne has meaning and purpose and we must accept our place at the foot of the throne of God."

Now, let’s get back to Job. After Job tells us this incredible definition of wisdom in chapter 28, he continues speaking for three more chapters. What is he speaking about? Well, he is praying and he is doing exactly what each one of us does when we pray. We talk about ourselves.

I want. I need. I desire. Help me. Bless me. Teach me. Show me. My needs.

Should I go on? The truth is that Job had lost sight is his God. Over the next three chapters, Job uses the pronouns “I”, “Me” and “My” 134 times.

134 times!

He is praying. How is he showing a proper respect for God that way? How can you?

Fearing God means putting Him first. That means seeking HIS will, doing what HE desires, asking what HE wants. It means putting God back in that throne and bowing before it.

That’s what fearing the Lord is all about.