The LORD Promises Wisdom

Proverbs 1:7 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline.
 
GOD promises if you fear  him you will have knowledge; you will be wise. To the world, this is nonsense. For one thing, we can know many things without fearing God. And why must we be afraid of God to have knowledge?
   God’s promises always point to his relationship with us. He created you to be personally involved with him. He wants you to be engaged with him in a joyful, interactive life on earth and in heaven. So he promises: “Fear God and you will gain knowledge.” What does this mean?
   The Bible tells us this promise is fundamental to fulfilling our divine purpose. There are 22 passages in the Bible that contain “fear of the Lord.” In each passage the command represents a person or group of people who revere God. Or they are commanded to worship him to fulfill God’s purpose for their lives. Isaiah even prophesied the Messiah will fear the Lord: The Spirit of the Lord will rest on him – the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the Spirit of counsel and of power, the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord. (Isaiah 11:2) You see here the binding relationship of fear to wisdom, understanding, counsel and knowledge.
   The root meaning of fear in these contexts is to revere, to worship. You fear God when you hold him in high esteem. You see him as the highest authority in your life. To fear God means you understand he is the author of your life. He has created you, and he will do with you as he pleases. The Bible tells us God is pleased to call you into an eternal relationship with him. You honor him for what he has done and what he will do. When you fear God, you confess he is the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End. (Revelation 22:14) Eternity rests in his hands.
   What do you do with this fear? You want to know God, so you gain essential knowledge. One of the critical moments in the 12 disciples’ relationship with Jesus occurred in a storm on Galilee. Luke 8:24 The disciples went and woke him, saying, “Master, Master, we’re going to drown! He got up and rebuked the wind and the raging waters; the storm subsided, and all was calm. 25 “Where is your faith?” he asked his disciples. In fear and amazement they asked one another, “Who is this? He commands even the winds and the water, and they obey him.”
   All but Judas came to understand through Jesus’ miracles and resurrection that Jesus is the one to worship. When they revered him as the Son of God, they gained the knowledge to prosper in the LORD. As we said in the previous lesson, when God’s Word is foremost on your mind, you will reach your divine purpose. This is the knowledge that begins with fear – with reverence, worship.
   From the patriarchs through the prophets and to the disciples, the Bible tells us that those who feared God gained the knowledge that led them to live a life devoted to him. This is true for you. Fear the LORD, and you will know the LORD. This knowledge will be the foundation of your life. You will filter all other knowledge through God’s wisdom. In this way, you will reach your divine potential.