The Fear of the LORD: The Beginning of Lifelong Biblical Wisdom
- Jack Selcher
- Nov 1, 2024
- 2 min read
Updated: Jan 29
Summary
Just as a garden begins with one shovelful of dirt, biblical wisdom begins with the fear of the LORD. Reverent awe for God shapes obedience, turns us from evil, and provides security and blessing. God is the source of all wisdom, and choosing a God-centered life lays the foundation for lifelong spiritual fruit and faithful living.
In 1996, I dug up a small part of the yard to plant cherry tomatoes. My garden was four feet long by four feet wide. It was a small beginning. I harvested less than ten pounds of cherry tomatoes.
Over several years, I progressively expanded the plot. Today, my garden is about 100 feet long by 9 feet wide. In the last 25 years, I have planted broccoli, cabbage, carrots, bell peppers, cherry tomatoes, wide varieties of larger tomatoes, cucumber, zucchini, and eggplant. I have also planted leaf lettuce, spinach, kale, grape tomatoes, cucumber, and green beans in grow bags. My annual harvest is now more than 400 pounds.
Small Beginnings Can Produce Abundant Fruit
It started with a single shovelful of dirt I turned over to create that initial plot. Wisdom’s beginning is called the fear of the LORD.
The Fear of the LORD Is the Beginning of Wisdom
“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; all who follow his precepts have good understanding. To him belongs eternal praise” (Psalm 111:10 NIV). “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction” (Proverbs 1:7 NIV).
Fearing God Shapes How We Live
“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding” (Proverbs 9:10 NIV). Those who fear the LORD turn away from evil (Proverbs 3:7, 16:6).
The Fear of the LORD Brings Security and Blessing
Fearing the LORD provides security and a life-giving foundation (Proverbs 14:26-27). Humility and fearing the LORD often bring riches, honor, and a long life (Proverbs 22:4).
The fear of the LORD is the necessary first step to pursuing wisdom. It equips us to bear kingdom fruit for the rest of our lives.
So, what is the connection between wisdom and the fear of the LORD? The fear of the LORD is a mixture of terror, reverence, respect, and awe for God that changes how we live.1 We know that we fear the LORD when we decide to turn away from our idols to worship the LORD alone.
God Is the Source of All Wisdom
We realize our lives are like a pie, and God is the pie plate. He is the source of all godly wisdom. He will teach us what we need to know to live well for Him.
He is the supernaturally perceptive director of the play of life. He continuously observes and evaluates everything we, the actors, think, say, and do. One day, we will have to give an account of all of it.
Choosing a God-Centered Life Begins Wisdom
That knowledge motivates our sincere obedience now and shapes how we think, and what we say and do. The first step toward godly wisdom is deciding to live a God-centered life.
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