January 23, The Fear of the Lord

Today’s reading: Psalms 111-115

“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; all who follow his precepts have good understanding. To him belongs eternal praise” - Psalm 111:10.

In the midst of the psalms that mostly declare God’s praise, this verse in Psalm 111 resembles a verse found in Proverbs: “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction” (Proverbs 1:7). That’s because praise and worship, a common theme in Psalms, are based on the fear of the Lord, a common theme in Proverbs. When you worship, you sing, clap, dance, shout, and lift your hands not because you feel like it or it is your preferred mode of worship. You do those things because they please God, acknowledging that He commands them to be performed. Have you given much thought to your demeanor and “body language” when you worship the Lord? When you worship, do you follow your own preferences or God’s? Do you know what God’s preferences are?