Mission Venture Ministries

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding. (Proverbs 9:10) 

To begin, we need to understand what it means to “fear the Lord,” since the term describes an awesome reverence for God that moves us to acknowledge Him as the sovereign Ruler of heaven and earth as we submit to Him, and walk in obedience. The result of such a response will be the acquisition of wisdom. 

When we commit ourselves to living for God’s purposes rather than our own, we will gain greater understanding of Him. The Holy Spirit will enable us to see circumstances and people from His divine perspective. This kind of wisdom reaches beyond human perception and gives us discernment to follow God’s plans for our life. Knowing that He always works for our best interests, we are empowered to walk confidently through both good and bad times. 

In simple terms, it means that a right, reverent fear of God as in respect, awe, and submission to Him, is where true wisdom starts. And more specifically, it includes recognizing God’s holiness, power, justice, and love, and seeing Him as the rightful Ruler over your life. 

So, what does that entail? 

It means a heart attitude of awe and submission as you take His words seriously, hate what He calls sin, and want to live in a way that pleases Him. 

You admit your dependence on Him in seeing that you need His mercy, guidance, and wisdom more than your own understanding. 

Wisdom is about seeing reality as it really is, and reality begins with God as Creator, Judge, and Savior. If He is ignored or treated lightly, everything you build in life rests on an uneven base. It puts your heart in the right posture; it corrects your self-reliance, because without fear of the Lord, you trust your own understanding, feelings, or the world. With wisdom, you start asking, “What does God say?” and “Will this please Him?” That shift makes your decisions wiser over time. 

Wisdom is not just being clever; it is living righteously, it shapes moral judgment. A healthy fear of God makes you weigh the consequences of sin, value His commands, and choose the path that leads to life rather than destruction. And, as your reverence and love for God deepen, your wisdom grows, because you’re constantly aligning your thinking and choices with who He is. 

Fearing the Lord brings many blessings in this life and the next as key blessings include: 

• “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge/wisdom” (Proverbs 1:7; 9:10; 15:33), is the doorway to seeing life and God correctly. 

• Fearing God “enables a person to avoid evil” and is described as “hatred of evil” (Proverbs 3:7; 8:13; 14:16; 16:6). 

• “The fear of the LORD adds length to life” (Proverbs 10:27). 

• “The reward for humility and fear of the LORD is riches and honor and life” (Proverbs 22:4). 

• “Blessed is the one who fears the LORD always” (Proverbs 28:14). 

In short, Proverbs presents the fear of the Lord not as a crippling fear but as a reverent, obedient posture that God delights to bless with wisdom, moral clarity, protection, stability, and enduring well‑being. 

When we know and obey God, the Holy Spirit gives us wisdom that reaches beyond human perception. 

If you truly revere the Lord, you will listen for His directions and heed His warnings. A desire to honor and please Him will motivate you to turn from poor choices and seek to live in obedience. The result will be wisdom beyond human understanding, because you only start to see life rightly when you first see God rightly, and respond to Him with this kind of reverent, obeying love. 

As one of my favorite verses states: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to Him, and He will make your paths straight” (Proverbs 3:5-6). 

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