Proverbs 9
Scripture
Proverbs 9:10
“Fear of the LORD is the foundation of wisdom. Knowledge of the Holy One results in good judgment.”
Observation-What does it say?
Solomon writes once again in this chapter about wisdom and foolishness. He writes that both are inviting and calling out to those who are willing to listen. The question at hand here is "who are you going to listen to?" I don't know about you, but I believe all of us desire to be wise. No one wants to be the fool. So in verse 10, Solomon writes that the foundation of gaining wisdom is having fear in the LORD. He continues to write that having knowledge in the Holy One will result in having good judgment. So at the end of the day, it is our understanding of who God is, what He can do, and our fear/respect of Him which will be our building blocks for gaining wisdom and being able to make better decisions in life.
Understanding-What does it mean?
Our relationship with God will help determine if we are living a life filled with wisdom, or foolishness. How's your relationship with God going?
Oftentimes, people will ask me my opinion about the verse I chose, "Fear of the LORD...". The best way I can describe it for them is comparing it to my relationship with my father when I was a kid. My dad laid out the ground rules to follow. He told me the consequences if these rules were broken. So you best believe I followed them, FEARING what would happen to me if I dared break those rules! As the years went on, I began to understand my dad, and what he was trying to do for me and my sisters. I knew that he was only trying to protect us, that he wanted the best for us, and that he loved us so much. I realized that his life experiences and knowledge of this world totally outweighed my own. Once I was able to grasp this, fear was no longer a factor for me following his rules. I followed his ways because I respected his leadership. I honored him for the father he was. I loved him for loving me that much. That is why I chose to follow his ways. And I was the better off and wiser for it!
It's the same thing when we initially decide to follow Jesus/God. We realize that He is Holy and mighty. We fear His wrath if we disobey Him. But once we build our relationship with Him, we begin to understand His true character and we understand His undying love for us. We understand that He is the author of life, and knows what is best for us. Once we are willing to grasp that, I believe fear will no longer be a factor of why we choose to follow Him and His ways. It will be because we love Him. And we will be wiser because of it!
“But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere.” James 3:17 NIV
Life Application
Gaining wisdom is not a one time deal. We must seek it daily.
A lot of us can feel that we are already wise in our ways, that life is good right now. But as this chapter states, not only is wisdom calling out to us daily, but foolishness also calls out to us. If we are not careful, we may fall victim to foolishness. That's why we must seek God and His wisdom daily. We must be obedient to the Holy Spirit when we hear Him calling to us. By doing this we can help prevent making foolish decisions, and falling into life's traps and pitfalls.
Father God thank You for the wisdom You provide me each day. Thank You for Your protection and Your Holy Spirit. May You grant me an open heart, open mind, and open ears to hear Your Holy Spirit's leading over my walk in life today. Help me God to make good choices today. In Jesus name, Amen.