I was reading the other morning in 1 Samuel 16 about when God told Samuel to go anoint a new king after Saul’s failings. We are told he went to Bethlehem, to the house of Jesse, and that he eventually anointed David to be the next king. However, buried in the middle of this tale is an intriguing statement. In verse 4, it reads that when Samuel entered the town, the elders of the town trembled when they met him. Then they asked him if he came in peace. This is an amazing testimony to the respect people had for God and the men of God thousands of years ago. Yes, they waffled in their reverence for Him regularly, but the respect they had for God seems to be somewhat greater than is often seen today. So here is my question to us all: How did we get to a time and place where we’ve forgotton all about what it means to fear God? I’m talking about a reverent fear; a respect for who He is; an unquestionable knowledge of His power and His love.
The Psalmist wrote: “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; all who follow his precepts have good understanding.” – (111:10) NIV. There appears to be such a thirst for knowledge today and yet seemingly little regard for fearing God. I pray that somehow, someway, we as the church, and we as a nation here in the U.S. would discover the imperative nature for following His precepts in order to have a “good understanding” about this crazy world in which we live. It all begins with fearing the loving God…therein lies the beginning of wisdom.
Tags: 1 Samuel, fearing God, knowledge, Psalm 111, thirst
