“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom;”
“The [reverent] fear of the Lord is the beginning (the prerequisite, the absolute essential, the alphabet) of wisdom;” amplified version
Not to keep pounding on the AC repair we just had in our house, but the Lord just keeps giving me something to learn. The AC guy said we had low freon in our AC system, so he would put dye in the system and come back later to see where the leak was. A couple of days passed, and the AC guy went upstairs into the attic, and sure enough, he found the dye all over a very expensive part of our AC. You guessed it, we had to replace it. He said it was good we found out now before more damage took place. Besides, in the cool weather, we would’ve never suspected anything was wrong with the AC unit.
As Christians, we go through seasons just like the weather. For a period of time, we feel close to the Lord and hear Him speaking to us every day. Then come the times when we don’t really hear directly from Him. In verse 10 of Psalm 111, we are reminded of how to start this road of Christian faith, with the fear of the Lord, because it is the beginning of wisdom. Not the world’s wisdom, but wisdom from the Lord.
The fear of the Lord is the prerequisite, the absolute essential, and the alphabet of wisdom. You cannot make any words without the alphabet, so we should not try to become wise in the Lord without first fearing or reverencing Him. This step in our Christian walk is very important. The end of verse 10 says, “A good understanding have all those who do His commandments.” So if you want a good understanding of the life and circumstances you are in, it starts with the fear of the Lord and doing His commandments.
We could have just told the AC guy he was crazy, accused him of trying to fool us, and kicked him out of our house. Then summer would come, and we’d all be saying, “Turn the AC down, I’m baking in here! Is that thing even working?” The AC guy was the only one who really understood the problem and how to fix it. Fixing it now is cheaper than fixing more later.
If you find yourself grumbling and complaining, then you might want to look at what is broken. Have you feared the Lord lately? Have you purposely spent time with the Lord in prayer and reading His Word? Are you spending too much time with the wrong crowd? Jesus is the only one who can fix your life. He knows you better than you know yourself. Just like the AC guy knows the AC system better than you do and would only recommend repairs that are needed in order to withstand the hot, dry months. Pour into the Lord, you will never be satisfied with anything else. I didn’t call a landscaping guy to fix my AC unit, so why would you rely on what the enemy whispers to you to fix your life?
Prayer: Father, I pray that we focus on You and You alone as the beginning of wisdom. I pray that we remain focused when life wants to push us away. I pray that we remain steady on the rock of Christ, and when the rains come and storms rise, I know I will not be shaken or washed away because I have built my house, my wisdom, and my strength in You, Lord. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Let It Go 
Leave a comment