Devotion: Proverbs 9:10

Proverbs 9:10 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is  understanding.

We start this month with a simple proverb that points us to where wisdom begins. The best place for us to launch a month of exploring Scriptures on the subject of wisdom is the beginning. Solomon tells us the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. But what does that mean?

We begin by looking at the term fear. To fear the Lord is not to be scared of Him, as one might think. Instead it means to show respect, reverence, humility, and submission. We see God for who He is and we show reverence accordingly.

The first half of our proverb shows us that the beginning of our understanding and wisdom starts with a correct, healthy, and respectful view of God. He should be the focus, not self. We live for Him, serving Him and not seeking selfish gain for ourselves. We need to realize and understand that everything we have comes from Him. And we should thank Him for all He does in our lives and all He gives us.

In the second half of the proverb we see knowledge and understanding used instead of wisdom. But what is the difference between these words?

• Knowledge is derived from one’s personal experiences and skills.
• Understanding is basically comprehension – the who, what, where, why, how of things. It is how you process knowledge.
• Wisdom is the ability to apply knowledge when making judgments.

The beginning of wisdom starts with a Christ centered focus and reverence. This happens because we have knowledge or personal experiences with God that shape our understanding. There is an amazing and loving God who wants the best for us and helps us.This helps us shape our knowledge of who God is.

We will be exploring wisdom through the whole month, so if it isn’t clear now, it will be soon.

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