How do you go about "fearing" God? Psalm 111:10 says that fearing God is the beginning of wisdom and that those who "practice it have a good understanding." Lord, teach me how to practice fearing you. If I practice, that means I spend time working at it. It's something I put effort into, as one would, say, practice an instrument. If "fearing God practice" equals wisdom, Lord, help me practice all day long.
What does it mean to fear? Matthew Henry says, "It is not only reasonable that we should fear God, because his name is reverend and his nature is holy, but it is advantageous to us. It is wisdom...Where the fear of the Lord rules in the heart there will be a constant conscientious care to keep his commandments, not to talk of them, but to do them..."
I suppose , then, the practicing of God-fearing would work itself out in obedience; in checks on certain behaviors, etc. I think it is the conscious act of always keeping God at the forefront of everything I do. It's not just a feeling alone, but it results in actions. In the middle of this conscientiousness, I need to remember that my ability to respond to it perfectly is not found in my own strength, but in the perfect life Jesus lived in my place.
