Message
The fear of God is the beginning of wisdom (); therefore, anyone who does not fear God is not wise. He is a Consuming Fire (), and those who do not fear Him are truly foolish because even a mad dog fears fire. also means that those who fear God become wise.
Apart from wisdom, however, there are many other benefits to fearing God, and today’s Bible reading outlines many of them. One of the benefits is that the seed of a person who fears God will be mighty upon the earth (). That same verse also tells us that the generation of the upright shall be blessed. says that you will have access to wealth and riches when you fear God. Also, says that you will not be afraid of evil tidings. People who fear God do not need to be afraid of anything because He will deliver them out of the hands of all their enemies and everything that can harm them.
Those who do not fear God will find it easy to commit sins, and this can bring a curse upon them and their descendants. For example, Gehazi’s lack of fear for the Lord caused him and his descendants to become carriers of the leprosy that was previously upon Naaman (). Whenever a person acts in a way that shows that he or she does not fear God, such a person robs his or her children of the opportunity to be great and exposes them to curses rather than blessings.
Joab was another person whose lack of fear for the Lord brought curses upon his lineage. In , the Bible details how he tricked Abner and murdered him in cold blood. When David heard about it, he placed a curse on Joab’s lineage that sicknesses, leprosy, poverty, weakness, and untimely death would befall Joab’s family and his descendants. People who do not fear God purchase trouble for their children.
Beloved, if you want your future and that of your children to be glorious, you need to have the fear of God in you. If you’re going to have peace of mind in your old age, you must fear God. The reason I am sure that my tomorrow and those of my children will be alright is that I fear the Lord. I pray that your life and those of your descendants will be filled with blessings and not curses, in Jesus’ name.