Worriless

Proverbs 1:2-7 “To know wisdom and instruction, to perceive the words of understanding, to receive the instruction of wisdom, justice, judgment, and equity; to give prudence to the simple, to the young man knowledge and discretion—a wise man will hear and increase learning, and a man of understanding will attain wise counsel, to understand a proverb and an enigma, the words of the wise and their riddles. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction.”

Last Sunday, Pastor Kyle preached a New Year’s sermon on our 2020 vision. A new year and a new decade has began, yet do you realize how remarkable it is that the Earth rotates in an understandable and predicable pattern, that we can track time and determine one year. But strangely, the older we get, “time flies” and the shorter days seem to become. We know that in the Bible account of creation in Genesis, death was not in the original design by Creator God. Sin entered with the original sin of Adam and Eve, which ushered in death as the penalty for sin. Similarly, life’s problems follow predicable and understandable patterns … life patterns.

Proverbs 12:25 “Anxiety in the heart of man causes depression, but a good word makes it glad.”

Many of our “presenting” problems are based on unresolved conflicts. There is a pattern underneath the conflict. Life’s riddles confuse and confound us, which causes us to struggle. We experience difficult problems, which we struggle to see clearly. Yet, we need to strive to live “worry-free” lives and worry less in the process, understanding and living out life issues with applied godly wisdom. We can live secure and at ease as we tune into God’s voice. Know that God has wisdom to help solve our life problems.

Proverbs 1:7-32 “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction.”

The “fear” spoken of here is reverence. The 1828 Webster’s dictionary defines “Reverence” saying: The fear acceptable to God, is a filial fear, an awful reverence of the divine nature, proceeding from a just esteem of his perfections, which produces in us an inclination to His service and an unwillingness to offend him. This produces a reverential fear of “letting God down”. The reverent fear of the Lord is the foundation and that reverent fear is respect. Jesus said in Matthew 12:30 and Luke 11:23 “He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters.” dread and indifference are the opposite on reverence and mock God (Father, Son and Holy Spirit) and there is no love in it. .

Psalm 111:10 “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; a good understanding have all those who do His commandments. His praise endures forever.”

We hear of and may experience the fear of the unknown, the fear of failure, or the fear of harm by others, which are associated with alarm, fright, apprehension, horror, panic, terror, and trepidation. But, godly fear is healthy because it drives us to do the “right” things in the eyes of the Lord and produces love, joy and peace in true security within our heart, mind and soul. If the foundation of our faith and life is wrong, than what is built upon it will not stand long in the storms of life in this fallen, sinful world. But, the life built upon the Lord stands the tests and tempests in this age and eternally to make us worriless.

In Christ, Brian