(B) basic (I) instructions (B) before (L) leaving (E) earth Proverbs 15:16-33

Proverbs 15:16-33 (NKJV) 16 Better is a little with the fear of the Lord, Than great treasure with trouble. 17 Better is a dinner of herbs where love is, Than a fatted calf with hatred. 18 A wrathful man stirs up strife, But he who is slow to anger allays contention. 19 The way of the lazy man is like a hedge of thorns, But the way of the upright is a highway. 20 A wise son makes a father glad, But a foolish man despises his mother. 21 Folly is joy to him who is destitute of discernment, But a man of understanding walks uprightly. 22 Without counsel, plans go awry, But in the multitude of counselors they are established. 23 A man has joy by the answer of his mouth, And a word spoken in due season, how good it is! 24 The way of life winds upward for the wise, That he may turn away from hell below. 25 The Lord will destroy the house of the proud, But He will establish the boundary of the widow. 26 The thoughts of the wicked are an abomination to the Lord, But the words of the pure are pleasant. 27 He who is greedy for gain troubles his own house, But he who hates bribes will live. 28 The heart of the righteous studies how to answer, But the mouth of the wicked pours forth evil. 29 The Lord is far from the wicked, But He hears the prayer of the righteous. 30 The light of the eyes rejoices the heart, And a good report makes the bones healthy. 32 He who disdains instruction despises his own soul, But he who heeds rebuke gets understanding. 33 The fear of the Lord is the instruction of wisdom, And before honor is humility. 33 The fear of the Lord is the instruction of wisdom, And before honor is humility. I recently was in a conversation over fear of the Lord. The general consensus was this means a healthy respect for God. I was raised Catholic. I was taught to fear God but not out of respect. To me, God was this angry being sitting on a throne with a furrowed brow watching everything we did, ready to strike us down with lightning if we did something that displeased Him. It wasn't until I was almost 40 years old and found a good Bible teaching church that I first heard about God's love. Slowly, God became this good, good Father who loves me and wants to bless me with good things, not strike me down when I did something wrong. God loves you and wants to bless you. God wants us to live a life full of love and grace and mercy. He wants us to live a life that honors Him. How do we do this? Pick up your Bible and start reading. Because the Bible is (B) basic (I) instructions (B) before (L) leaving (E) earth. Blessings, Cecilia