Thursday, January 8, 2009

January 9

Jan 9 - Today from Proverbs 9 we look at verse 10
"The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding."

First, we must consider that there are indeed two kinds of wisdom. The first is a wisdom of this world (James 3:14-16). It may be identified as savvy-ness, street-smart, cleverness, etc. - the identifying factor of such wisdom is that it emanates from selfish ambition. It is often admired by others who themselves are self-ambitious. Jealousy and covetousness often accompany this admiration. People who 'successfully' display this kind of wisdom appear to get what they want in life – often at the expense of others. Obviously this is not the kind of wisdom being spoken of in this proverb. The wisdom here is the wisdom which comes from heaven - 'pure, peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere' (James 3:17). This kind of wisdom endures and one who successfully displays this kind of wisdom is an asset to mankind.
The fear of the Lord is to revere Him - to hold a profound awe and respect for Him. It encompasses the spirit of the first four commandments which is articulated in the 'great commandment', "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength" (Mark 12:30). This is the beginning of wisdom. One cannot expect to gain wisdom from above if one does not revere the One who is enthroned above. When one truly reveres God and His Word, one easily surrenders one's life to Him.
The very fact that something is a beginning suggests that it is not an arrival. It's the place to start. In order for one to grow in wisdom, one must gain understanding. Of what? Of life the way the Creator meant it to be. The best way to understand life the way God meant it to be is to grow in the knowledge of Him. When one of His disciples asked Jesus to see God the Father, He replied, "Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father." (John 14:9). If we want to know God, we must watch, listen to, and follow the Son. The best way to do this is to regularly study the gospels. Read some good commentaries on the gospels. If we will commit ourselves to this, we will grow in understanding life the way the Creator meant it to be - the Son lived it. The world system has been corrupted by sin. It is indeed a wide path - wide enough to accommodate every conceivable philosophy and religion there is. But you will not find the Son of God or His true disciples on that path. They walk the path of wisdom and understanding. One cannot even find this narrow path until one surrenders. This is the purposeful act of laying down one's self-will and seeking to find and do His will. Once one has made this decision, one is on the narrow path, the path of true enlightenment.
Discipleship is a lifetime commitment. The process doesn't end until we pass over to our eternal home with Him. Even then, the process will not end; it will just be gloriously and infinitely different.

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