The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge

An Emoji Devotions for 10th of May, 2021

Topic: The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge

By H.U. Wenger

Highlights: 

Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent. (John 17, 3)

The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy. For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross. (Colossians 1, 15 – 20)

The fear of the Lord has nothing to do with anxiety or being intimidated. Fear of the Lord means much more the acceptance or the acknowledgment that the Lord God is the origin of all existing life and the creator of heaven and earth. True wisdom and truth can only be found in him. Proverbs 1:7 therefore states: “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline.” By searching for him, by listening to his revelatory word, I can gain true insight in the functioning of the world and the human soul and accumulate some wisdom. If I am getting lost in the philosophies of the world, in theories about fake origins, like the evolutionary development of life from the spontaneous and random convergence of proteins into a single celled organism and from there upwards to complicated and intelligent life forms, I remain a fool.

 Everything I can produce from there is only an always new level of ignorance. Wisdom comes from the LORD and from the LORD alone. He does not only give wisdom and understanding as the bearer of GOD’s fullness, but he presents himself also as the redeemer for us as human beings. God is totally and unchangeably good for all of his creation. Our ancestors, Adam and Eve did not stick to this axiom and got alienated from God. Life in the fallen creation got heavy on them and together with Satan they became enemies of God, accusing him for the misery they got us all into. Christ paid our guilt and transgressions through his blood shed on the cross and offers now everybody who comes to him life eternal. All he wants from us is to learn from him and to change ourselves more and more into his character and image. He tells us that the same way he has been sent by the Father to show us how good, how gentle, how long suffering, how humble of heart and how forgiving the Father is, we are sent from him to show the world around us all this wonderful attributes he has revealed to us. For this we need discipline. Without disciplined following him, we remain fools and betray ourselves. By following in his footsteps we will be people of knowledge and wisdom. 

Prayer: God, I do accept that you are totally and unchangeably good for my life, no matter what. To you belongs all glory. “Teach me your way, O LORD, and I will walk in your truth; give me an undivided heart, that I may fear your name. I will praise you, O LORD my GOD, with all my heart; I will glorify your name forever. For great is your love toward me; you have delivered me from the depths of the grave. Turn to me and have mercy on me.” (Psalm 86:11 – 13; 16a) Amen