Fear the Lord AND walk in the way of the Lord with trust and intimacy (Proverbs 3:7,12,32,10:29)

Sometimes God's word jumps at me through quick searches. I searched In the Lord as I was looking for wisdom for my day (and worries about the coming weeks). I remember my study of Romans 16 where that term kept coming up to describe the Godly relationships within the final greetings of the letter. So today I get practical helps on what "fear the Lord" looks like as well as what trust and intimacy in the Lord look like

• He who walks in his uprightness fears the Lord, But he who is devious in his ways despises Him. Proverbs 14:2
• In the fear of the Lord there is strong confidence, And his children will have refuge. Proverbs 14:26
• The way of the Lord is a stronghold to the upright, But ruin to the workers of iniquity. Proverbs 10:29 NASB
• The fear of the Lord is the instruction for wisdom, And before honor comes humility. Proverbs 15:33
• By lovingkindness and truth iniquity is atoned for, And by the fear of the Lord one keeps away from evil. Proverbs 16:6, Titus 3:3-21

Proverbs 1:7
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; Fools despise wisdom and instruction.

Proverbs 3:5
Trust in the Lord with all your heart And do not lean on your own understanding.

Proverbs 3:7
Do not be wise in your own eyes; Fear the Lord and turn away from evil.

Proverbs 3:12
For whom the Lord loves He reproves, Even as a father corrects the son in whom he delights.

Proverbs 3:32
For the devious are an abomination to the Lord; But He is intimate with the upright.

Proverbs 16:20
He who gives attention to the word will find good, And blessed is he who trusts in the Lord.

The perverse in heart are an abomination to the Lord, But the blameless in their walk are His delight. Proverbs 11:20

Why fear the Lord?

• The eyes of the Lord are in every place, Watching the evil and the good. Proverbs 15:3
• All the ways of a man are clean in his own sight, But the Lord weighs the motives. Proverbs 16:2
• Everyone who is proud in heart is an abomination to the Lord; Assuredly, he will not be unpunished. Proverbs 16:5
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Pride in our heart; it's companions and consequences

THE HUMAN HEART—Pride

Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall (Proverbs 16:18)

COMPANIONS OF PRIDE

Proverbs 16:18;18:12; 21:4; 16:18;21:24; 27:2; 20:6; 17:19

A. Haughtiness (18:12: 21:4: 16:18). Haughtiness (arrogance, aloofness) is being disdainfully or contemptuously proud. Pride from our heart shows contempt for others because from the outside it seems obvious what that person should do - yet we are blind to our own problems.
 - Before disaster, the heart of a man is haughty and filled with self-importance (18:12)

B. Scoffing (21:24). Why does he scoff? It is his way of letting you know his superiority and your inferiority.

 - acts with overbearing (egotistic, autocratic/dictatorial) and insolent (rude) pride. (21:24)C. Boasting (27:2; 20:6: 17:19). Pride’s greatest fear is that someone else will not notice the greatness it sees in itself. Therefore, it boasts of itself.

I. PRIDE VS. GOD

Proverbs 16:18;3:5-7; 8:13; 15:33; 22:4;16:5; 6:16-9;29:23; 15:33

A. Pride is the Ultimate Sin Against God (3:5-7). It is the assumption that man is self-sufficient and important enough to compete with God’s greatness. magnitude. strength and wisdom.

- Fear the Lord [with reverent (respectful, worshipful) awe (wonder) and obedience (submission, compliance, willingness)]
- And turn away from evil (sin, crime, wrong, darkness, disaster, injury, harm)

B. Pride Opposes the First Principle of Wisdom (8:13: 15:33: 22:4). That principle is the ‘fear of the Lord.”

How does it oppose this principle?

 - 22:4, The reward of humility [that is, having a realistic view of one’s importance] and the [reverent, worshipful] fear of the Lord Is riches, honor, and life.
 - Very important, but not most important
 - Jesus demonstrated humility,  emptied himself, being a bondservant, likeness of man Philippians 2:7, was homeless (Luke 9:58), for our sake become poor, through his poverty we become rich (2 Cor 8:9), he prayed earnestly for us (Heb 5:7, John 17), he was the greatest servant leader (Luke 22:27), he ate with outcasts (Luke 15:1-2), didn't look to men for glory (John 5:41), would not accept promotion (John 6:15), he washed his students feet (John 6:38)

C. Pride is an Abomination to God (16:5; 6:16.19). It claims honor for itself, but only God can bestow honor and He does so in response to man’s humility rather than his pride (29:23; 15:33).

 - (16:5) Everyone who is proud and arrogant in heart is disgusting and exceedingly offensive (displeasing, insulting) to the Lord; Be assured he will not go unpunished.

 - A proud look [the attitude that makes one overestimate oneself and discount others]. Wowza, it's mid-year review time....

II. CONSEQUENCES OF PRIDE

Proverbs 16:18; 11:2;25:27;13:10; 28:25;15:25: 16:18-19; 18:12

A. Shame (11:2:25:27). It is ironic that pride seeks glory for itself, yet receives shame.

 - (11:2) When pride comes [boiling up with an arrogant attitude of self-importance], then come dishonor and shame,
But with the humble [the teachable who have been chiseled by trial and who have learned to walk humbly with God] there is wisdom and soundness of mind.

B. Contention (13:10: 28:25). What kinds of relationships experience conflict, strife, and contention because of pride? Work relationships, home relationships, family, community, strangers on social media (Kathy Giffin beheading Trump)...

C. Destruction (15:25: 16:18-19: 18:12). God brings the man who challenges Him to ruin. He has no need to even compete with man for glory.

Thanks to Rob Harbison for sharing this excellent study on Proverbs

http://www.padfield.com/acrobat/harbison/proverbs-rh.pdf

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Trust in the Lord with all your heart...submit to him (Proverbs 3:5-6)

Trust in the Lord with all your heart

    and lean not on your own understanding;

in all your ways submit to him,

    and he will make your paths straight. - Proverbs 3:5-6

A) Everyone can gain wisdom, but not all do because fear of the Lord is required
(Proverbs 1:1-7) All people can use Proverbs for instruction, insight and prudent behavior - Fear the Lord is the beginning
(8-19) Listen to mom and dad, sinful men entice you to steal, kill and destroy - don't give in, they ambush themselves, ill-gotten gain takes away the life of those who get it
(20-33) Wisdom calls to all, "simple, mockers, fools - repent! I will make my teaching known to you" - hear when I call, if not when you call I won't answer

B) Wisdom comes from God,  guides us when trusted in our heart
(Proverbs 2:1-22) Accept wisdom inside yourself from the LORD, for protection and salvation from wicked men and women - paths of the righteous
(Proverbs 3:1-6) Memorize in your heart my teaching: peace, prosperity, love, faithfulness - Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways submit to him and he will make your paths straight (3:5-6)

•  Application: Trusting is submitting, follow-through on the plan and your path will be straight. How have I encountered this truth or the opposite of it? When have I known the right thing to do, yet done the opposite? I think of times when I've boasted about proud intentions, yet failed to follow thorugh. James 4:16-17 reminds us this is a sin (the source of guilt John 9:41, shame Luke 12:47 and personal disturbance 2 Peter 2:21). Trusting and submitting to God requires a conscious, daily action on our part. I'm reminded of Romans 12:1-2, in view of God's mercy, submit yourself to him as a living sacrifice and Hebrews 3:12-14 about helping one another today to hold firmly to the faith in the living God, Jesus Christ.

(7-12) don't be wise in your own eyes, fear the LORD, shun evil - Honor the LORD with your wealth, yours will overflow. Lord disciplines those he loves
(13-18) Blessing comes to those who find wisom, understanding; riches, long life, pleasant ways, path of peace: She is the tree of life those who hold fast will be blessed

• Application: See to it, brothers and sisters, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called “Today,” so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness. We have come to share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original conviction firmly to the very end. -Hebrews 3:12-14 
• We were taught to put off the former way of life that is actively corrupted by deceitful desires (Eph 4:22)
• Let us consider how to spur on another on to love and good deeds (Hebrews 10:24)
• Not neglecting to meet together but to encourage on another all the more as the Day approaches (Heb 10:25)

(19-20) By wisdom, the Lord created the heavens and the earth (Genesis 1)

(21-26) We need to keep wisdom front and center and all around for judgment, discretion, understanding, safety, rest, avoid disaster/ruin - Lord will be with us.

(27-31) don't withhold good from those due when we have power to act - today, don't plot evil, accuse without reason, ency the violent

(32-35) Lord detests the perverse but takes the upright into his confidence, Lord's curse on wicked, blesses home of righteous, Lord mocks mockers, shows favor to humble and oppressed, wise honor, fools shame

• Application: Truths reiterated in James 4:16-17 do what the Lord says and it will go well with you, all else is sin that leads to shame and being "beaten" (Luke 12:47) and personal disturbance (2 Peter 2:21).

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