Proverbs 1:1 These are the proverbs of Solomon, David’s son, king of Israel. 2 Their purpose is to teach people wisdom and discipline, to help them understand the insights of the wise. 3 Their purpose is to teach people to live disciplined and successful lives, to help them do what is right, just, and fair. 4 These proverbs will give insight to the simple, knowledge and discernment to the young. 5 Let the wise listen to these proverbs and become even wiser. Let those with understanding receive guidance 6 by exploring the meaning in these proverbs and parables, the words of the wise and their riddles.

7 Fear of the Lord is the foundation of true knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline.

· Worldly fear = an unpleasant emotion caused by the belief that someone or something is dangerous, likely to cause pain, or a threat.

· Terror, fright, fearfulness, horror, alarm, panic, agitation, trepidation, dread, consternation, dismay, distress, anxiety, worry, angst, unease, uneasiness, apprehension, apprehensiveness, nervousness

· Fear of the Lord = (yir a) Reverence, respect, piety.

· Piety = devotion to God, spirituality, humility

· Recognition that God is ultimately in charge of your life and all life.

Matthew 10:28 “Don’t be afraid of those who want to kill your body; they cannot touch your soul. Fear only God, who can destroy both soul and body in hell.

Genesis 22:1 Some time later, God tested Abraham’s faith. “Abraham!” God called. “Yes,” he replied. “Here I am.” 2 “Take your son, your only son—yes, Isaac, whom you love so much—and go to the land of Moriah. Go and sacrifice him as a burnt offering on one of the mountains, which I will show you.”

Genesis 22:12 “Don’t lay a hand on the boy!” the angel said. “Do not hurt him in any way, for now I know that you truly fear God. You have not withheld from me even your son, your only son.”

· God knew Abrahams heart before he led Him to sacrifice his only son. He never planned on Abraham going through with the sacrifice, but he needed two people to see he was willing. 1, Abraham. 2, Us.

· There is a life-giving connection that is established when we trust and fear God to the nth degree. When all is on the altar, nothing is impossible.

Isaiah 11:1-5 Out of the stump of David’s family will grow a shoot— yes, a new Branch bearing fruit from the old root. 2 And the Spirit of the Lord will rest on him— the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord. 3 He will delight in obeying the Lord. He will not judge by appearance nor make a decision based on hearsay. 4 He will give justice to the poor and make fair decisions for the exploited. The earth will shake at the force of his word, and one breath from his mouth will destroy the wicked. 5 He will wear righteousness like a belt and truth like an undergarment.

Psalm 34:7 For the angel of the Lord is a guard; he surrounds and defends all who fear him.

Psalm 103:17 But the love of the Lord remains forever with those who fear him. His salvation extends to the children’s children

Leviticus 25:17 Show your fear of God by not taking advantage of each other. I am the Lord your God.

Deuteronomy 6:24 And the Lord our God commanded us to obey all these decrees and to fear him so he can continue to bless us and preserve our lives, as he has done to this day.

Psalm 34:9 Fear the Lord, you his godly people, for those who fear him will have all they need.

Ecclesiastes 8:12 But even though a person sins a hundred times and still lives a long time, I know that those who fear God will be better off.

Ecclesiastes 12:13 That’s the whole story. Here now is my final conclusion: Fear God and obey his commands, for this is everyone’s duty. 14 God will judge us for everything we do, including every secret thing, whether good or bad.

Proverbs 1:7 Fear of the Lord is the foundation of true knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline.

· Fools = of one who despises wisdom of one who mocks when guilty of one who is quarrelsome of one who is licentious (immoral, perverse, promiscuous, unprincipled)

Proverbs 13:19 It is pleasant to see dreams come true, but fools refuse to turn from evil to attain them.

Proverbs 13:19 Souls who follow their hearts thrive; fools bent on evil despise matters of soul. (msg)

· Matters of the soul. Many of us deal with negative aspects of our mental health.

· We break down from carrying emotional weight and baggage because we want to handle life our way.

· To be foolish isn’t always obvious to us, but it always centers on our experience.

· To follow your heart in this context is to allow God’s work to take center stage in your life. Many of us deny where God can take us because we fear the results of His leading rather than our own.

· Sin is defined as doing things our way. Proverbs 14:12 says there is a way that seems right but the end is destruction because your soul which is connected to God, created by God and empowered by God does not thrive in our hands, but in Gods’.

· To follow our heart is to hear from His on what’s best for us. Reverence for His thinking is the beginning of health in ours.