I love that you can read the Word of God and certain verses will jump out at you—as if the Holy Spirit is taking a highlighter and saying, “THESE—meditate on THESE.” That’s what happened to me this weekend. THESE were the verses that popped out at me:
“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction” (Proverbs 1:7 NASB).
“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding” (Proverbs 9:10).
Ever meditate on those truths? Ever think about the fact that one must have a fear of the Lord to even BEGIN to walk with true knowledge? Yet, we live in such opinionated times.
Television, radio, newspapers, books, magazines, blogs—everyone’s quick to tell us what’s “true.” They’ve got an opinion about what’s right and wrong, fair and unfair, wise and unwise. Their opinions are often based on what they’ve been taught or told, on their experiences and backgrounds, ethnic and political affiliations, and all the other factors that come together to form one’s view of the world.
But how many of those opinions are based on a fear of the Lord?
A fear of the Lord will cause us to humble ourselves and seek His face, understanding that He’s the only One with true wisdom and knowledge. A fear of the Lord will move us to study the Scriptures to learn true wisdom and knowledge, so we can speak not from our own minds but the mind of Christ. A fear of the Lord will lead us to exchange our own attitudes, opinions, and beliefs for God’s truth.
What can we learn from these verses? First, we need to be discerning about which opinions and viewpoints we adopt. Do those views line up with God and His Word? If not, they’re lacking in true wisdom and knowledge; they’re worldly.
Second, these verses let us know that we don’t need an advanced degree, advanced age, or a certain number of years on the job to possess true wisdom and knowledge. True wisdom and knowledge start with knowing God. Truth be told, if you’re in Christ, you probably know a lot more than the pundits you’re listening to. After all, God likes to use “the foolish things of the world to shame the wise” and “the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong” (1 Corinthians 1:27).
Do you have a reverential fear of the Lord? Are your views based on the wisdom and knowledge found in His Word?
Heavenly Father, You deserve all the praise and the glory. You are sovereign; You are righteous; You are almighty; You are God. May I walk with a holy fear of all You are, and yet I thank You that You are also loving, gracious, and merciful. Thank You for blessing me with true wisdom and knowledge, in Jesus’ name, Amen.
