Trust God's Power

When I was a kid growing up in a home with parents who were new believers in Christ, I was taught that I was not supposed to fear. As evidence: every time an angel appeared to a person in the Bible, the angel said, "Fear not." Adding to this, one of the first Bible verses I remember memorizing was 2 Timothy 1:7, which starts with the phrase, 'For God has not given us a spirit of fear.' As a kid, I was pretty convinced that fear was bad and that my faith had failed if I ever felt it.

So, my inner twelve-year-old still experiences temporary confusion when he reads a Bible verse like today's main passage...

"Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord, and turn away from evil." (Proverbs 3:7, ESV)

Fear of the Lord

As we continue our series on The Effects of Trust, this week we see from our key passage of Proverbs 3 that we are to trust in the power of the Lord.

"But wait a second, Erin... I don't see anything in verse 7 about God's power..."

You are correct. God's power is not explicitly stated. And yet it is right there... hidden in the phrase "fear the Lord."

Take a moment to think about what 'fear' is. We usually think of it as 'being scared.' When a person finds themselves in the middle of a mass shooting, riding in a plane in the middle of a storm, or hearing the whoosh of a tornado passing by their house, they might be filled with fear.

But that fear comes from a sense of awe. A positive sense of awe might come while viewing a mountain range, seeing a star-filled sky, or holding your newborn baby. But a negative sense of awe (which we call fear) recognizes that the moment is bigger than them and that they are helpless to change the circumstances.

This, in essence, is what 'fear of the Lord' means. Rather than coming from a negative sense of awe, it arises from a proper, positive sense—recognizing that God is bigger than any moment we find ourselves in. But while we are helpless to change the moment, He is NOT!

That is why Solomon tells his son in verse 7 to not trust his own wisdom. The son will never have enough understanding of every situation in which he will find himself. So rather than trust in himself, Solomon is telling him to trust in God's power to work. And out of that healthy sense of fear/awe of the Lord, the son should turn away from evil to cling closely to the goodness of God.

Peace from Fear

And what is the result of trusting in God's power to work in all circumstances? Peace!

We don't typically think that peace can come from fear, yet verse 8 tells us that our very souls will be healed through this type of holy fear...

"It will be healing to your flesh and refreshment to your bones." (Proverbs 3:8, ESV)

Are you troubled by the future, a broken relationship, a child's decisions, a poor health diagnosis, an empty bank account, or something else? Then fear the Lord! Trust His awesome power to work in this struggle. Trust His endless wisdom to guide you through. Trust that the One who spoke this world into existence will work in His perfect timing. And then let that "fear of the Lord" bring healing to your soul and fill your mind with peace.