The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction.—Proverbs 1:7
That word fear here used to shake me up. It made me wonder, Do I have to be afraid of God to grow in wisdom? Not at all. I’ve come to see how fear in this context means “wonder and awe.” Our world is full of distractions. We’re barraged with information on our phones and computers. How to make sense of it all? This verse reminds me to put first things first. The rest will follow.
I will instruct you and teach you the way you should go; I will counsel you with my eye upon you.—Psalm 32:8
We learn from God through Scripture and prayer. I used to start my day with the morning paper, but I found that my spiritual life was overwhelmed by scary headlines. Not fear of God—just fear of everything else. These days, I make sure the good news comes first. I start with prayer, then read a few psalms with my oatmeal. Feeding on God’s word. Later, when I catch up on the news, I have the right focus, knowing where to put my trust.
Keep on doing the things that you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, and the God of peace will be with you.—Philippians 4:9
With wise and experienced teachers like the Apostle Paul (writing here), we learn not only through what they say but also through what they do. That’s where we find peace. Paul was the first to admit to his failings, offering an example of how even someone like him, who at first got it so very, very wrong, could later get it all right. He showed how wisdom comes not just through words but also through an inner transformation.
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