By Rev. J. Loren Russell
Proverbs 9:10 NKJV
“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.”
Each of those three words, wisdom, knowledge, and understanding are nouns (person, place, or thing). In this case, each word helps us to understand the purpose of something very important, which is, a relationship with the Lord. This single verse directs us to the way of acquiring wisdom, knowledge, and understanding, through the fear of the Lord.
To quote from a previous article I wrote, “a good understanding of the Lord is based on fear, but not the kind of fear that paralyzes us.” A God-based fear gives birth to wisdom, then wisdom breeds knowledge, and knowledge develops into understanding. I am convinced that you cannot have the kind of fear spoken about in the book of Proverbs without gaining wisdom, knowledge, and understanding. Further, you cannot have that kind of wisdom, knowledge, and understanding and keep it to yourself. This kind of fear is God-given! If God gives it to you, He wants you to give it away.
I am not making this stuff up. Scriptures can be found in both the Old and New Testaments that tell us to fear the Lord. They tell us what a healthy fear of God does for us, what it does to us, and how it should be used by us. Proverbs 9:10 is not directed to anyone specifically, which means it can be incorporated by everyone. If we develop a healthy fear of the Lord, we can acquire the kind of wisdom, knowledge and understanding that adds years to our lives and gives life to our years. Verse 11 confirms it and says, “For by me your days will be multiplied, And years of life will be added to you.”
We do not have to choose between wisdom, knowledge, or understanding. It’s a package deal that comes with the fear of the Lord.
Be Blessed!
Rev. J. Loren Russell is President/CEO of The JLR Company for Church Financial Strategy & Consulting; an associate minister at both Goodwill and The Greater Universal Baptist Churches in the Bronx; creator & host of “Matters of Faith – The Radio Show” Mondays 8:00 – 10:00 PM on Facebook LIVE and author of Matters of Faith: The Book (eBook available at www.smashwords.com/books/view/993177)
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