Random Thoughts: Alice in Wonderland, 1

I found myself chasing a white rabbit down a hole a couple of weeks ago (spiritually speaking, of course).  Here are the verses I read (then I will try to explain the analogy).

In the fear of the Lord is strong confidence, and His children will have refuge.  The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life, that one may avoid the snares of death (Proverbs 14:26-27).

I really like what “fear of the Lord” offers.  I’ll take a minute to expound a bit:

• Strong confidence.  Wow!  Love the combination of those two words.  Confidence – the ability to hold one’s head high, to be sure of yourself.  One who is free of insecurity, generally, one who is certain of his/her identity (to which I will add the words, “in Christ”).  Strong – never wavering, power; greater than average or expected; sure and certain.

• Refuge.  A safe place.  A position of comfort.  A lack of fear.

• Fountain of life.  Speaks of an overflow that just keeps coming...abundance.  The word “merriment” (an often unused word in our day) is attached to this definition.

• Avoidance of the snares of death.  Death here, in general, symbolizes a separation of God.  The concept of these words is that the enemy has traps of temptation waiting along the journey of life, in the hopes that he can destroy our intimacy with the Lord.  The one who fears the Lord learns wisdom (Proverbs 9:10) that helps him see the danger in advance and run for cover (Proverbs 27:12).

Yep, that’s what I want...all of it.  The key is on the table at the bottom of the rabbit hole:  fear of the Lord.  If I use the key, it unlocks the door into the land of wonder called The.Christian.Life.  Everything I want is on the other side.  Of course, there are other things, as well – evil, difficulty, quirky people, oddities that are unexplainable, and goodness.  Yet, it’s all part of the adventure. 

I’m ready to explore that world...but first, there’s a few things I need to know.