Wisdom and the Fear of the Lord

Psalm 111:10

"The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom: a good understanding have all those who do his commandments. His praise endures forever.” 

         It’s funny that our verse today is about wisdom and the fear of the Lord. This morning I came across a verse in Proverbs that says, “The fear of the Lord is the hatred of evil…whoever finds me (wisdom), finds life and obtains favor from the Lord.” (Proverbs 8:13, 35) If the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom and the fear of the Lord is the hatred of evil, than the key to finding wisdom is found in hating evil. Evil is not just a list of sins written down on the ten commandments, but it is whatever may hinder you from pursuing Jesus more passionately. For some evil may be social media, friendships, hobbies, or relationships; but as someone who has grown up in the church, my one thing that has kept me from pursuing Jesus has been my constant fear of failure. I hate disappointing people, and throughout my life, I have had many expectations put on my shoulders, that I just can’t meet. I started to gain a lot of knowledge about the character of God, but it never made me fear the Lord because it was just that: head knowledge. I wasn’t in awe of my creator, my savior, and my friend. I knew exactly who God was, and I thought that was enough. The difference between head knowledge and wisdom stems from a fear, a holy fear of the Lord and an overwhelming devotion to God. God requires us to be in wonder of who he is and he desires for us to learn more about him through the reading of his word, that we might gain a deep and intimate understanding of Him and the love he has so demonstrated for us. Drink deep of his mercies every moment of every day and let the sustenance of his word be more than enough to carry you through every trial you experience, that his praise might endure forever on your lips. 

Application: I want to know Jesus deeply and in order to do just that, this week when I do my devotions, I will write down the characteristics of God that are revealed to me through his word.