Proverbs 9:10 - "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding"
I know that the answer for me is a big YES to each of these questions!
I can actually take these pursuits too far. For example, when I really want to learn something or build a new skill, I can find myself dedicating hours and hours towards that goal to the exclusion of other important priorities.
What is fascinating about my approach is that according to this verse, I am misguided, at best.
This verse is a clear illustration of how God has set things up. There is a pretty clear path described here that starts with fear of the Lord and leads to wisdom, knowledge of Him, and understanding.
But what does this really mean?
Let's start with the first part - "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom." Simply put, fear of the Lord puts Him in the proper place in our lives, and gives us the right perspective.
When we humble our own ambitions to the awesome and sovereign power of an all-seeing, all-knowing, all-powerful God, we understand our limitations. We understand our own sinfulness as deserving the wrath of God. Our fear recognizes the little things for the little things, what we can control vs what we cannot, and how we should treat others and how we shouldn't.
We gain wisdom with a proper lens through which to view God's world. We become wise about choice A vs choice B when God has a say in all choices and their outcomes for His ultimate glorious purposes.
The second major part of this verse highlights that "knowledge of the Holy One is understanding." An important caveat - to gain knowledge of the Holy One, we have to read His Word.
It is the key route to really knowing God, His ways, and His character. But even more than that, it is how we gain understanding.
Let me give you an example you can probably relate to. We understand that the Bible warns of placing too much emphasis on the pursuit of monetary wealth. That sounds objectionable, especially by Western cultural standards.
However, what the Bible is really warning is that prioritizing the pursuit of wealth above God and others is dangerous to your spiritual health, your relationships with others, and ultimately, your relationship with yourself.
You see, if you know anything about chasing wealth, wisdom and understanding teaches you over time that there will always be more wealth for you to chase. You will truly never be satisfied with any amount of wealth you have. Unfortunately, it is just human nature. As a result, you will experience that wealth doesn't deliver what your soul really longs for. Only God can do that.
UNDERSTANDING this dynamic means you can save yourself and others in your life a lot of heartache by never prioritizing wealth, or any other addiction or temptation, above God and others. You will lead a life full of wisdom as you see the world around you, its dangers, and its blessings for what they truly are.
Have you experienced the gift of deep wisdom, knowledge, and understanding that comes from scripture? If so, please share in the comments section below...
