The Beginning, Not the Finish Line
09/05/2026
There’s a big difference between knowing things about God and actually allowing what we know about God to shape the way we live. We can read Scripture, listen to sermons, sit in Bible studies, and collect a lot of information. But Solomon starts Proverbs by pointing us somewhere deeper. Wisdom doesn’t begin with how much we know. It begins with how we see God.
“The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge;
fools despise wisdom and instruction.”
- Proverbs 1:7 — ESV
The phrase “fear of the LORD” can throw people off.
Solomon isn’t telling us that wisdom begins when we become terrified of God. He’s talking about reverence. Awe. Recognizing who God is and understanding who we are in relationship to Him.
It’s the difference between saying, “God, give me some advice,” and saying, “God, You are God. Teach me.”
Those are two very different postures.
One approaches God like another voice in the room. We listen to Him, but we also listen to our feelings, our friends, our experience, social media, whatever seems logical, and whatever happens to be easiest at the moment. Then we decide which voice we like best.
The other posture recognizes that God gets the final word.
That’s where wisdom begins.
Notice Solomon says the fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge. Not the graduation ceremony. Not the advanced course. The beginning.
Before we ask God what we should do with our money, relationships, career, family, habits, or future, there’s a more fundamental question:
Do I actually believe God knows better than I do?
That sounds easy until God’s wisdom conflicts with what we want.
Most of us are pretty comfortable following God when His direction agrees with ours. It gets harder when Scripture challenges something we enjoy, confronts an attitude we’ve justified, tells us to forgive someone we’d rather stay angry with, or asks us to trust God when we can’t see how things are going to work out.
That’s when reverence becomes more than a theological idea.
It becomes obedience.
There’s another part of this verse we shouldn’t skip over: “fools despise wisdom and instruction.”
Nobody wants to think of themselves as a fool. But biblically, foolishness isn’t primarily about intelligence. You can be incredibly educated and still live foolishly. You can know a lot and still refuse correction.
One of the clearest signs that wisdom is growing in us is that we become teachable.
Can somebody correct me?
Can Scripture confront me?
Can God show me that something I’ve believed for years is wrong?
Can I hear wisdom from someone else without immediately becoming defensive?
That can be uncomfortable.
Sometimes our first response to correction is to explain ourselves. We want the other person to understand why we did what we did. And sometimes an explanation is appropriate. But there are also moments when the wisest response is simply:
“You’re right. I need to work on that.”
That takes humility.
And humility grows when we have a proper view of God.
The more clearly I see His greatness, the less pressure I feel to pretend I have everything figured out.
Maybe that’s why Solomon starts here.
Before he gives us chapter after chapter of practical wisdom about relationships, money, work, speech, temptation, discipline, integrity, and decision-making, he establishes the foundation:
Start with God.
Not yourself.
Not culture.
Not whatever everybody else is doing.
God.
And when His wisdom collides with ours, wisdom says, “Lord, I trust You more than I trust me.”
That’s not weakness.
That’s where wisdom begins.
Action Steps
* Ask God where you’ve become unteachable. Is there an area where you already have your mind made up and aren’t really interested in what He says?
* Pay attention to your response to correction. Before defending yourself today, stop long enough to ask whether there might be something you need to hear.
* Put one truth into practice. Don’t just read Scripture today. Choose something God has already shown you and obey it.
Challenge for the Day
Identify one area where your way and God’s wisdom have been competing. Today, stop asking God to agree with you and choose to agree with Him.
Prayer
Father, I don’t want to simply know more about You. I want my life to reflect that I trust You. Give me a heart that reveres You, ears willing to hear correction, and the humility to admit when my way is wrong. Teach me Your wisdom, and give me the courage to live it. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Pastor Jeff
#LoveGod #LovePeople #FindFreedom #FindYourDesign
There’s a big difference between knowing things about God and actually allowing what we know about God to shape the way we live. We can read Scripture, listen to sermons, sit in Bible studies, and collect a lot of information. But Solomon starts Proverbs by pointing us somewhere deeper. Wisdom doesn’t begin with how much we know. It begins with how we see God.
“The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge;
fools despise wisdom and instruction.”
- Proverbs 1:7 — ESV
The phrase “fear of the LORD” can throw people off.
Solomon isn’t telling us that wisdom begins when we become terrified of God. He’s talking about reverence. Awe. Recognizing who God is and understanding who we are in relationship to Him.
It’s the difference between saying, “God, give me some advice,” and saying, “God, You are God. Teach me.”
Those are two very different postures.
One approaches God like another voice in the room. We listen to Him, but we also listen to our feelings, our friends, our experience, social media, whatever seems logical, and whatever happens to be easiest at the moment. Then we decide which voice we like best.
The other posture recognizes that God gets the final word.
That’s where wisdom begins.
Notice Solomon says the fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge. Not the graduation ceremony. Not the advanced course. The beginning.
Before we ask God what we should do with our money, relationships, career, family, habits, or future, there’s a more fundamental question:
Do I actually believe God knows better than I do?
That sounds easy until God’s wisdom conflicts with what we want.
Most of us are pretty comfortable following God when His direction agrees with ours. It gets harder when Scripture challenges something we enjoy, confronts an attitude we’ve justified, tells us to forgive someone we’d rather stay angry with, or asks us to trust God when we can’t see how things are going to work out.
That’s when reverence becomes more than a theological idea.
It becomes obedience.
There’s another part of this verse we shouldn’t skip over: “fools despise wisdom and instruction.”
Nobody wants to think of themselves as a fool. But biblically, foolishness isn’t primarily about intelligence. You can be incredibly educated and still live foolishly. You can know a lot and still refuse correction.
One of the clearest signs that wisdom is growing in us is that we become teachable.
Can somebody correct me?
Can Scripture confront me?
Can God show me that something I’ve believed for years is wrong?
Can I hear wisdom from someone else without immediately becoming defensive?
That can be uncomfortable.
Sometimes our first response to correction is to explain ourselves. We want the other person to understand why we did what we did. And sometimes an explanation is appropriate. But there are also moments when the wisest response is simply:
“You’re right. I need to work on that.”
That takes humility.
And humility grows when we have a proper view of God.
The more clearly I see His greatness, the less pressure I feel to pretend I have everything figured out.
Maybe that’s why Solomon starts here.
Before he gives us chapter after chapter of practical wisdom about relationships, money, work, speech, temptation, discipline, integrity, and decision-making, he establishes the foundation:
Start with God.
Not yourself.
Not culture.
Not whatever everybody else is doing.
God.
And when His wisdom collides with ours, wisdom says, “Lord, I trust You more than I trust me.”
That’s not weakness.
That’s where wisdom begins.
Action Steps
* Ask God where you’ve become unteachable. Is there an area where you already have your mind made up and aren’t really interested in what He says?
* Pay attention to your response to correction. Before defending yourself today, stop long enough to ask whether there might be something you need to hear.
* Put one truth into practice. Don’t just read Scripture today. Choose something God has already shown you and obey it.
Challenge for the Day
Identify one area where your way and God’s wisdom have been competing. Today, stop asking God to agree with you and choose to agree with Him.
Prayer
Father, I don’t want to simply know more about You. I want my life to reflect that I trust You. Give me a heart that reveres You, ears willing to hear correction, and the humility to admit when my way is wrong. Teach me Your wisdom, and give me the courage to live it. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Pastor Jeff
#LoveGod #LovePeople #FindFreedom #FindYourDesign
Recent
Archive
2026
January
Embracing God’s New BeginningsRenewed, Not Worn DownThe Gift of Rest, Not a BurdenOne Thing I AskTransformed, Not ConformedArise and ShineFor His Glory in the OrdinaryChoosing Generosity Over ConvenienceAbide and Bear FruitDon’t Forget the BenefitsSetting an Example in Every SeasonLosing to LiveReady When He ComesThe Low Road That Leads to LifeWhere Your Heart Truly LivesThe God Who Sings Over YouRest That Goes Deeper Than SleepUnited in ChristHow Good and PleasantOvercome Evil with Active GoodThe Strong TowerActivated FaithNo Condemnation—Only FreedomThe Goodness Found in WaitingConfessing and RemainingUnder the Same SkyTeach Me to Walk in Your WillAnxious for NothingThere Is No Rock Like Our GodLiving the Word, Not Just Hearing ItStirred to Love
February
A Soul That Magnifies the LordStrong Where It Matters MostWalking Through the Darkest ValleyThe Golden WayA Word That Lifts the WeightRun With PurposeTraining for What LastsJoy That Grows Under PressureWhen Anxiety Multiplies, God SustainsRefined by the FireGrace That OverflowsStrength for Every SeasonUnashamed to Bear His NameDevoted to One AnotherThe Joy of a Righteous ChildWalking in LoveThe Glory That Fills the EarthFinish WellThe Pain That Produces PeaceOur Only AimThe Way, The Truth, The LifeStrength to Seek HimThe Whole Duty of ManTreasure Hidden in the FieldO Lord, You Are My GodDelight Yourself in the LordWalk in His StepsFriend Who Sticks Closer
March
The Long-Suffering Love of GodOvercome Evil with GoodBe Strong and CourageousMorning GuidanceThe Quiet Power of GenerosityWhat We See Is Not All There IsThe Faithful ProtectorStrength and DignityCasting What We CarryCharm Fades, But Reverence RemainsThe Voice of the Good ShepherdPeace That Changes EverythingBefore Everything ElseFor Such a Time as ThisWhen Life Turns, Turn to GodMake His Name KnownTrusting the God Who Sees the Whole RoadGreater Is He Within YouSurely Goodness and Love Will FollowThere Is Still a Rest for YouWhen Fear KnocksA Sorrow That Leads to LifeWhen Your Soul Thirsts for MoreOpen Hands, Open HeavenUnstoppable PeaceWhen Seeking Becomes SurrenderUnited in Spirit, Rooted in ChristThe Lifter of My HeadBlessed Is the KingBehold the Lamb Who Takes Away SinThe King Who Came to Serve
No Comments