“The one who gets wisdom loves life; the one who cherishes understanding will soon prosper.”
Proverbs 19:8

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When I was 16, I opened my Bible to the book of Proverbs for the first time ever. A few chapters in, I read “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding” (Proverbs 9:10). I was befuddled. That sentence alone confused me entirely. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom—what does that mean? Why does God want me to be afraid of Him, and what does being afraid of Him have anything to do with wisdom, anyway? 

It was years until I heard a pastor explain it this way: to “fear God” means to take God seriously. It finally clicked for me. To take God seriously means to consider Him important, deserving of attention, and worthy of respect. It means carefully considering and reflecting on who God says He is, believing it, and living according to His Word. To come close to understanding Him requires growing in familiarity with who He is through His Word. He is the Almighty God. 

When He says trust me and lean not on your own understanding (Proverbs 3:5), He means you can rid yourself of all of your backup plans. When He says, be still and know that I am God (Psalm 46:10), He means you can actively wait on Him to move in power. When He says do not be anxious about anything, He means invite Him into your anxiety and His peace will guard your heart and mind (Phil. 4:6). When He calls Himself “El Elyon,” the Most High God, He means to give Him the reverence, esteem and honor due His name. He is holiness wrapped in holiness wrapped in holiness. He has might and power in His hands. 

The beginning of wisdom means not only to acknowledge that He is the Ruler of Heaven and earth, but to submit to His authority as Ruler of your life. Wisdom is the ability to understand the spiritual perspective, which comes from God, and apply it to life. If we are to become wise, we must get to know God through His Word and take Him seriously.

Próximos pasos

Take some time to reflect and consider if there are any areas in your life in which you are struggling to fully trust God. Write a prayer asking God to root out the distrust.