Reverent fear of the Lord

Scripture - Job 28:28 NASB

"And to man He said, 'Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; And to depart from evil is understanding.'"

Observation - A simple yet profound statement from Job who was in a tough place.  Most all that he had: wealth, family, and health was taken away.  His physical condition was greatly degraded causing him not to ever be comfortable or ever have a moment of peace from his troubles.  His wife was telling him to curse God and die,  his friends were arguing that he probably brought all of this on himself in some way.   Yet from this position Job still focuses on what he knows  and chooses to  stand on the truths that God has already revealed about Himself . These words of wisdom were likely influenced by Solomon's proverbs 9:10  "The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding".    I think it is interesting too that in this proverb that there is a clear distinction between wisdom and knowledge.   Fearing the Lord is wise and leads to making good decisions in your life.   In the world gaining knowledge is often more sought after than wisdom.  The folly with this is that knowledge can be applied in an unwise manner resulting in unexpected and unintended consequences.

Application - The application for me is to first and foremost pray I don't have to have all taken away from me to test if this  truth  has taken root in me.   Not to be scared of the Lord but to greatly respect Him in  such a manner that I wouldn't even consider departing from His ways.   I will live with the understanding that wisdom comes from the Lord.   I will also live understanding that while seeking after knowledge is not a bad thing unto itself, but rather applying knowledge in wise ways that glorify God, and help my fellow man is my ultimate goal.

Prayer

-  Dear heavenly Father, thank you for today's injection of your wisdom in my life.  I thank you for the daily investment you make in me through the guidance of your holy spirit and through the truths in your word.     I pray for the discernment and the strength to walk boldly , with a healthy understanding that my wisdom begins when I reverently follow you.  I pray all this in Jesus name, Amen.