Today I want to share with you how a person begins this process of becoming wise. Reading a book doesn't necessarily guarantee that a person is going to become wise. Difficult circumstances like we're going through right now don't necessarily guarantee that a person becomes wise. A person can end up on the other side of all these circumstances and find themselves more angry, more bitter than they were before. So then how do we become wise?
Proverbs 1:1 says:
“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge,
but fools despise wisdom and instruction.”
In Proverbs 9:10 we read,
“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom,
and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.”
Fear of the Lord is the beginning of understanding. Your view of the reality of God in your life is the foundation by which you gain knowledge and understanding. Simply put: if your faith tells you there really is an immaterial God in the universe, then there is something more to life than just the physical - what you can see, feel, touch and hear. Your belief in an immaterial God leads you to this belief, this knowledge that he really is at work in your life and that he actually lives inside of you. You believe in this immaterial God who loves you and who leads you to a sure-footed sense that he will never ever leave you or forsake you.
How do we get this love into our life? How do we describe this fear of God? The Bible describes it not as a terror or a cowering-in-the-corner kind of emotion. In 1 John 4:18, we read “There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear...” And then Psalm 130:4 (ESV) says, “But with you there is forgiveness, that you may be feared.”
It’s not about being scared of God. It's about being awestruck with how much God loves you. It's about being captured by that daily. It’s about knowing the beauty of him and his gospel so that when ugliness flies out of you, you can still rest assured. It's when all the craziness comes out of you that you realize that there is somebody who is stable and secure in your life. Tim Keller wrote “The fear of God is a loving, joyful awe and wonder before the greatness of God.” Fear is taking God seriously because he's the most important reality there is in life.
But why use the word fear to describe awesome joy? Here's a thought for you: the reason is because we all fear in the direction of what we love. You see, I fear my family getting COVID-19 because I love them dearly. I don't fear for what I don't love. I think if you stop to identify those things that you fear, you'll find they’re attached to those things that you love.
So as life is being peeled back right now, what are you afraid of losing - your children, your job, your health, your grandchildren? Money? Possessions? Prestige? We are told to fear God because He is the ultimate source of love. And those things that I fear should tell me quite a bit about where my love is invested. We fear God because he's what our heart is most after. He gives us security, affirmation, and identity. It's not that cowering kind of fear, but it's actually the kind of fear that says He really thinks that about me.
The road to wisdom begins when you humbly recognize this fear of God. When you place yourself before Jesus Christ, to say, He is the person that I love the most. He's the one who's most awesome. Today, I'd love for you to think about James 1:5: “If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.”
Prayer for Today
Father in Heaven, today, would you give us a fear that isn't afraid of you? But instead a fear that takes you seriously. Your love penetrates the deepest part of our hearts. Please remind us that even in the chaos we are deeply loved by you. Give us this kind of fear because this is the beginning of wisdom. In Jesus name that we pray, amen.
