Want Wisdom? Then It’s Important To Fear The Lord
Do you want wisdom? Do you live with wisdom?
Wisdom is—the ability to use knowledge and experience to make good decisions and judgments. (Cambridge Dictionary)
Psalm 111 begins with these words…
Praise the Lord!
Psalm 111:1
And it ends with these…
Fear of the Lord is the foundation of true wisdom.
Psalm 111:10
All who obey His commandments will grow in wisdom.
Praise Him forever!
If we want wisdom and the foundation of wisdom is the fear of the Lord, then it’s important for us to know what it means to fear the Lord.
We often hear that fearing the Lord is having awe and respect for Him but those two words have always seemed incomplete to me.
I spent some time thinking about what it means to fear the Lord and prayerfully asked Him to help me understand.
And the Spirit placed the following thought in my heart…
Fearing the Lord is loving Him so much that you can’t imagine doing anything that would disappoint Him or go against His will.
If that is what it means to fear the Lord, then we have to KNOW Him so we can LOVE Him and we have to KNOW His will before we can OBEY His will.
That’s why I have made it my heart’s desire to SEEK, KNOW, TRUST, LOVE, and OBEY the Lord. For me, those five words are the foundation of the faith that fills me with hope and love. Those words are the foundation of a faith that comes from loving the Heavenly Father and His Son, Jesus Christ, through the power of the Spirit so much that I would never want to say or do anything that disobeys or displeases Him.
Do I do that perfectly? Frustratingly . . . no.
But that’s another reason why I will by God’s grace forever SEEK, KNOW, TRUST, and LOVE Him. Because He faithfully forgives me when I don’t deserve it and He continues to love me when I fail to obey His will.
So, do you want wisdom? Are you tired of giving in to the world’s foolish ideas and activities?
James wrote…
If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and He will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking. But when you ask Him, be sure that your faith is in God alone.
James 1:5–6a
The truth is that no amount of knowledge, experience, understanding, common sense, or insight alone will give us Godly wisdom. Because Godly wisdom is God-given to those who SEEK Him through His Word, prayer, and the power of His Spirit.
Solomon wrote…
If you seek [wisdom] like silver
Proverbs 2:4–6
and search for it like hidden treasure,
then you will understand the fear of the Lord
and discover the knowledge of God.
For the Lord gives wisdom;
from His mouth come knowledge and understanding.
Let’s pray…
A Prayer for Those Who Want Wisdom
Father, Your Word says that if I want wisdom I should ask You.
I want wisdom! I need wisdom! This world is filled with mixed messages. The enemy of our souls deceives the world with twisted truths and enticing lies. I want to KNOW Your truth and live accordingly. I want to KNOW Your will and have all that I need to trust and obey it.
Your Word also says that if we SEEK Your Kingdom above all else, You will give us everything we need. I will SEEK You because I believe You are everything I need. You are LOVE. You sent Your only Son to give me life . . . an abundant life that lasts forever. You came for me. I have done nothing to earn it and I don’t deserve it; yet, You are generous with grace and mercy.
Lord, for who You are and for all You’ve done . . . I love You! By Your grace and with Your help, I will live each day remembering that “the fear of the Lord” is the foundation of the wisdom I desire. And I will do my best to glorify and honor You with all I say and do.
Your grace is sufficient. Your love is unfailing. Your wisdom is greater than anything this world has to offer. Thank you for making it possible for me to love You with all my heart, soul, mind, and strength. In Jesus’ precious name. Amen.
Paul wrote the following to the church in Rome…
Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.
Romans 12:2
Psalm 111 also adds…
All He does is just and good,
Psalm 111:7–9
and all His commandments are trustworthy.
They are forever true,
to be obeyed faithfully and with integrity.
He has paid a full ransom for His people.
He has guaranteed His covenant with them forever.
Our Heavenly Father wants and knows what is best for us…
May we fully give ourselves to Him humbly asking Him to transform us through His Son.
May we SEEK His Kingdom above all else trusting Him to give us everything we need.
May we surrender our lives and live each day for His pleasure and the glory of His holy name.
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Amen, Deb! I want the wisdom only God can give because of His love and mercy for us. How blessed we are!
Have a great weekend!
Me too, Martha! I’m so thankful that James told us we can ask God for wisdom and He will gracious help and guide us. He is our source of wisdom. God bless you, my friend!
I remember as a child of how I did not want to hurt or disappoint my granddaddy. I loved him so much and I never wanted him to have to correct me. Bing a child, it did happen occasionally. All he had to do was give me “that look” and say, “Miss Sue” and I knew I was in trouble. He never had to lay a hand on me. I stood corrected and I would go and tell him I was sorry and how much I loved him. I find myself doing this with the Lord. I want to obey him, but I fall short on a daily basis. It may be my attitude, bitterness, anger, and my need to isolate. I know that these things are against what he desires, but I find myself doing them anyway. I am grateful that he still loves me and he will never stop loving me. I love Romans 8: 38 and 39! I repeat this to myself so many times. AllI can do on a daily basis is SEEK to do better. And as you say, KNOW, TRUST, LOVE and OBEY! I will continue to take these five words as a daily reminder. I want that wisdom that we are told about in the Bible. And thankfully, from you, a lady who teaches us well.
God Bless You my good friend, In Christ! I pray that you and the Rev will have a wonderful, God Blessed weekend, stay safe and cozy in HIS loving arms.
Hugs in abundance to you!!
I loved learning about your grandfather, Sue. I also love that he called you, “Miss Sue.” That’s really cute. I agree … Romans 8:38–39 are such wonderfully encouraging verses. To know that nothing can separate us from God’s great love is an amazing blessing. We have so many reasons to fear and love our gracious Heavenly Father. God’s blessings, dear friend!
Thankyou Deb. I am so blessed to have found this site. It is the encouragement I need and love. God is great. I know that and thank him every day for my miracle. They told me I was going to die. But God didn’t let that happen. I believe I have more to do and that is possible with his love and his promises.
Bless you and know you have a great ministry.
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Hi, Diana. Thank you for your kindness and encouragement. I’m so glad you joined us. Praise God for His gracious miracle. We have been blessed be His gracious miraculous touch in our lives as well. I can tell that you join us in sharing His love with great joy! Thanks again! God bless you!