10 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom,
and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.
11 For through wisdom your days will be many,
and years will be added to your life.
Proverbs 9:9-10
I like what the guys at the Bibleproject.com do with Proverbs. (https://bibleproject.com/explore/wisdom-series/) What they say is that wisdom is like a force which is woven into the universe to be used for our benefit, to help us be at one with the universe, which starts to sound a lot like Star Wars. That is, until you realize that it is the creator, the supreme divine being, who was the one doing the weaving. He has created the universe with the thread of wisdom running through it, a thread which begins with him. This wisdom, embedded in the created order, allows us to flow with the heart of the divine creator.
For our part, this wisdom begins with something called, “the fear of the Lord”. “Fear” in this context does not mean to be afraid rather it means to honor and to reverence. To have access to God’s wisdom we must have a reverence for him and a respect for all of his ways. In other words, from the very start it should matter to us who God is, his nature, what he thinks and what he desires. It is not only important to us but we are willing to align ourselves with all that he has revealed about himself.
Wisdom will help us: to make good decisions, to manage our responsibilities, (especially when we are responsible for other people), to know how to relate to those in authority, be a good friend and to recognize a friend from an enemy, to manage our money, to find a good spouse and so much more! It’s time to lean into Wisdom but first we must commit. Wisdom calls out to us, “I can help you but you must trust me”. Will you trust God’s wisdom?
If so then be prepared:
1. For Radical obedience
2. To have your patience tested
3. To walk with God
5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding;
6 in all your ways submit to him,
and he will make your paths straight. Proverbs 3:5-6
