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The Fear Of The Lord

             Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised. Honor her for all that her hands have done, and let her works bring her praise at the city gate. (Proverbs 31:30-31)

Today’s passage tells us that the things the world tends to think are vital to women’s lives, the ability to delight, please, or manipulate others, and beauty, aren’t as important as fearing the Lord. The world also tells us that fearing the Lord is being phobic or living in constant terror. But fear also means to revere Him, which means to respect Him. What does that mean? The short answer is that she loves the Lord her God with all her heart, soul, mind, and strength and loves her neighbor as herself.

The longer version is that she lives in a way that gives those around her confidence that she will do them good. She takes an interest in her life and fulfills her responsibilities. She takes care of others and is dressed in dignity. She brings respect to those associated with her. She doesn’t waste her time in idleness or gossip. She builds a solid legacy. She does the things we have been considering over the past several days. And she does not do these things in order to impress others or to look good, but just because that’s the sort of person she is, and as an example to those whose job it is to influence: her servants and her children.

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