TEACHABILITY

"Come, ye children, hearken unto me: I will teach you the fear of the LORD." - Psalm 34:11

So many make the mistake of thinking that education ends when they receive a diploma. Some foolishly think that they don't need to learn anything else after they obtain an advanced degree. The fact is that life itself is a classroom filled with lessons and tests. I have found that the tests in life are far more difficult than the tests I took in school.

A major problem that we are seeing is a lack of teachability among adults. Some refuse to learn or grow any further. They simply object to being taught. Others are teachable only if they find the subject interesting.

Of all the subjects in the world, I would guess the least common subject that people want to learn about is fearing the Lord. Few sermons are preached about this subject. Many think that this is an antiquated issue and that we don't need to learn about this subject. I strongly disagree. So does the Bible.

In Psalm 34:11, the Bible says, "Come, ye children, hearken unto me: I will teach you the fear of the LORD." The following verses of the psalm give us insight concerning the subject of fearing God. In verse 11, take note of two things.

1. INVITATION

First, there is an invitation: "Come, ye children ..." At first glance, you'd think that this invitation is solely for young people. Yet didn't Jesus instruct us to come to Him as little children? Even among professing believers, very few seem to have the child-like faith that Jesus expects. Children tend to be trusting. They live simple lives. We need to come to God with simple trust.

Here in America, we tend to complicate matters too much. We can take a simple subject and dissect it until no one understands it. Whether we want to admit it or not, we are not as smart as we think we are. The most educated people have purged God from their thoughts, thinking He is not real and certainly not needed. These "smart" people ridicule people of faith because of the simplicity of Christianity.

Yet God calls us to come to Him as little children. The invitation is for those who will respond with child-like dependency, not for those who feel that they are intellectually superior to everyone else.

2. INSTRUCTION

The invitation is given to receive specific instruction: "I will teach you the fear of the LORD." This instruction is needed. We need to be taught such healthy fear. Those who reject God or treat Him with disdain act as if He will always be silent and seem apathetic about their conduct. Nothing is further from the truth. All of us ... ALL of us ... will one day stand before God --- including those who refuse to believe on Him. How frightening it will be to stand before an angry God!

The Bible says that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. Ultimately, God will reward the wise. The Bible gives no promise of eternal rewards for those who are attractive, intelligent or talented. However, Daniel 12:3 says, "And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament."

That's a good reason to heed the psalmists instruction and learn to fear God.