Where do I begin? We have all uttered these words at some point in our lives. Usually a hint of frustration is implied by the question. Where do I start? What do I do next? Where do I go from here? Sounds like someone is lost, confused, and at wits end. Maybe for some it was just a few hours or maybe for others it has been a few years. Years of searching for answers to questions about life, marriage, family, children, religion, the Bible. Years of trying to make sense of the ups and downs of life, the setbacks, and the nagging disappointments. Years of trying to cope with things that seem to throw our lives into tailspins which seem endless. We want to find answers, we want to try to understand, but where do we begin? The best place to begin any journey is at the beginning. As a matter of fact the only place you can begin is at the beginning. You cannot go for a walk and start half way. You cannot build a house from the roof down because there is nothing to build on. Everything begins at the beginning. There is no half way without a beginning. There is no roof without a foundation. The truth is, we all begin our quest to gain wisdom and understanding from some starting point. We are all coming from somewhere. Worldly wisdom, cultural norms, the counsel of the ungodly are the starting point for most people and sadly even some christians. The reason our world is so confused, frustrated and angry is because they are trying to build a house with no foundation. They are building on sand.They are wrong at the beginning and consequently nothing seems to make sense. If we want answers, if we want discernment, if we want wisdom Proverbs tells us how to get there. We must begin at the beginning. So what is the beginning of discernment and wisdom? Good question. Proverbs doesn’t leave us hanging. Proverbs 1:7 “the fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom...”
Solomon is telling us if we do not fear the LORD we haven’t begun to be wise. Understanding life, the Bible, Relationships, the world we live in, BEGINS with the fear of the LORD. A reverence, awe, and delight in the LORD. Understanding the LORD is holy, just, righteous, and forgiving. The LORD is the creator of this universe and he rules and reigns over it for his glory and according to his good pleasure. He is the sovereign LORD, the coming LORD, our Blessed Hope. He is the one to whom we must one day stand before and give an account of our lives. The fear of the LORD... This is the beginning of wisdom. We must bring our own understanding, plus the counsel we get, etc. and lay it at his feet. Hold it up against the word of God. Is it what God's word says, is it consistent with who God calls us to be, is it true, just, pure, etc? Phil 4:9. Is the action honoring to God? Will we be pleased to have God watch us do it? Are the motivations in our heart pure and honoring to God? Do we desire his glory above all things? Does it reflect what Christ wants to do in us and through us. When the fear of sinning against a Holy God is greater than our fear of looking foolish in the eyes of he world... This is the beginning of wisdom. “In the Beginning God...” What is your starting point? Proverbs 3:5-6
