“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding. For through wisdom your days will be many, and years will be added to your life”  (Proverbs 9:10-11)

Interestingly, the beginning of wisdom, according to the Holy Scripture, begins with the fear of the Lord. All good things begin with the Lord and our reverence and respect for Him. Godly wisdom leads to the beginning of understanding. Understanding lends itself to responsibility. Responsibility calls for action. Action brings change. Change can affect everything it touches.

It’s no wonder everything we do, whether big or small, be done in the fear of the Lord. It is the standard we should adhere to as sons and daughters of the King in order to both obey and obtain true wisdom.

Some of the wisest men we encounter in the Bible understood this important truth and realized the implications that can come from both fearing and not fearing the Lord. Wisdom starts with seeking the One who created it, which is why decisions should be guided by God’s Word and wrapped in prayer.

Something that hinders us from equipping ourselves and growing in wisdom is the sin of our own pride. Our knowledge and understanding will always be limited when pride is in the picture. Pride creates a barricade. It diminishes our ability to seek God and clearly hear His voice. Proverbs 3:5 reminds us of this truth:

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.”

Apart from God, we are weaker. Apart from Him we are less wise.

Acquiring wisdom is a blessing. King Solomon could have asked for anything, but in humbleness he asked for wisdom. God rewarded Solomon for seeking, with a humble heart,  what he could never attain without God’s intervention. Solomon was given a precious gift, the same gift God offers to us today. But, there’s a catch-it’s given to those willing to humble themselves and let God take control.

God’s Word is key to gaining wisdom. Studying the Bible gives us those “lightbulb moments” and, with each revelation, we are given more knowledge and understanding. As we dive in, we get the added bonus of becoming more discerning in the affairs of life. The Bible becomes our tried-and-true roadmap. Its rich knowledge will always, without fail, safely guide us on our journey.

God uses His Word to sharpen and shape us. He never leaves us without the proper equipment, but requires us to study so we can be more influential in our lives and to those we meet. He lovingly reminds us in James 1:5:

“If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.”

James 3:17 states, “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”.

In a nutshell, we could study all the books ever written and gain the knowledge the world offers us, but the Bible is the only book that holds the key and unlocks the door to godly wisdom. Jeremiah 33:3 continues the call to seek God’s wisdom in our lives:

“Call to me and I will answer you, and will tell you great and hidden things that you have not known.” Praise God for loving us enough to correct us, guide us, change us and equip us. God can do much when we’re willing to surrender and let Him take control. And when we answer  the call to wise up, we’ll be more able to rise up and shine for Him.

hspate@verizon.net

Relationships matter. Family matters. Marriage matters. Morals matter. Decency matters. Righteousness and purity matter. All these things matter to the Creator, and therefore, should matter to all of creation.

Almighty God is the highest authority, the ruler of  everything. His voice rises above all other voices. His virtues, commands, and opinions rise above and matter more than every voice that has ever existed or ever will exist in the world. He is the final say in all of creation and its dealings and His wisdom exceeds any in all the earth.

God has forever proven Himself trustworthy, loyal, loving, wise and mighty. He reigns over all and all should give Him praise. He knows all. He sees all. Nothing in this life takes Him by surprise. He set the stars in place and hung the moon for our enjoyment. He fashioned and formed us and gave us freedom and choice.

He created every intricate detail of the universe. He knows the beginning, the end, and everything in between and has written the pages of each life’s story. Nothing is outside His reach. Nothing is outside His power. The very hands that formed the world still hold the world together. And because He is, He deserves our awe, respect, devotion and adoration.

David knew of God’s attributes, His holiness, His very nature. He knew our hearts were fashioned to praise Him, our hands were made to serve Him, our lives were made to draw into relationship with Him. David’s heart was so moved by God’s goodness that he beautifully penned these words in the Psalms:

“When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is mankind that you are mindful of them, human beings that you care for them?”

He goes on…

“You have made them a little lower than the angels and crowned them with glory and honor. You made them rulers over the works of your hands; you put everything under their feet :all flocks and herds, and the animals of the wild, the birds in the sky, and the fish in the sea ,all that swim the paths of the seas. Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!”

What inspiring words from the one God called a man after His own heart! We should all aspire to be so humbled and in awe of the Creator. We should awake each day with a sense of peace and joy knowing the One who holds the world amazingly calls us into relationship with Him. He desires His children to experience His presence in a way that develops character and makes us more like Him.

He wants what matters to Him to matter to us. Just think—He wants to spend time with us!

He wants us following His ways, listening to His voice, placing importance on what He deems important. He lovingly commands us to follow in His footsteps. We have been invited by the King of kings and Lord of lords, the very one who formed us, to know and make Him known! We have been given the ultimate gift…the blessed opportunity to fellowship with the Father.

This knowledge should have us shouting from the rooftops!

The relationship with the Father was the blessing David experienced from the time he spent with God. Like all relationships, true closeness will never transpire if time together is rarely spent. This precious promise is given to those who spend time seeking Him and desiring to hear His voice.

James 4:8 states: “ Come near to God and he will come near to you.”

John 1:12 proclaims: “Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.”

He calls us His own! AMAZING! He invites us to worship, to shine, to trust, to serve, to enter relationship for our betterment and His glory. He desires us to grow so that others can grow too in the light of His love. We will never be as effective as He commands day- to- day if we allow our time with Him to be a mere checkmark on a to-do list.

We can’t make a mark if we’re not spending time as David did, and we can’t be fully obedient if we’re listening to any voice other than His. The only opinion that matters, the only voice that matters, is the One who gave us a voice. Everything else is of no significance if not wrapped in the presence of God.

Developing a rich and deep relationship with Him on a daily basis allows us to tune in and intently listen, while silencing all other voices that would try to echo in our hearts and fight for our attention. If we cultivate the closeness, God promises to come ever closer.

If we fine tune our hearts, we’re promised the ability to discern and better hear His still small voice. And if we spend time, we’ll become more keenly aware of this life-changing truth: If it matters to Him, it should and will matter to us.

hspate@verizon.net