The Overriding Necessity for Christians to achieve Wisdom and Understanding through the Fear of the Lord!

30 Jul 2025 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Job 28:28.        And unto man he said, Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil, is understanding.

Good ole Wednesday is up friends! Hope you’re ready to catch your second wind. (smile) And thankfully, it doesn’t seem like today is going to be as hot as the last few days. There’s even a small cloud cover to retract some of the heat. I know it’s been somewhat rough with all the heat and the attendant problems it brings, but if you’re walking with and living for Jesus, we know you’ll handle the situation with great aplomb (smile) because He gives us the strength and the wherewithal to do so. Bless His holy name!

So what are we going to talk about today eh? Who knows? Let me open the Good Library and see what it advises. And lo, and behold, I opened it, and it opened unto the Book of Job, unto an interesting passage of scripture that many of us don’t know. It speaks of the Price of Wisdom. And according to the scholars, ‘Job Chapter 28 is one of the most beautiful poems on wisdom found in the scriptures. After describing how laboriously man works to extract the ores and precious metals from the earth (vs. 1-11), Job raises the ultimate question of the sufferer: where shall wisdom be found? (vs. 12)’

And that’s where we’ll begin. So please read with me: ‘But where shall wisdom be found? and where is the place of understanding? Man knoweth not the price (value) thereof; neither is it found in the land of the living. The depth (deep) saith, It is not in me: and the sea saith, It is not with me. It cannot be gotten for (pure) gold, neither shall silver be weighed for the price thereof. It cannot be valued with the gold of Ophir, with the precious onyx, or the sapphire.

The gold and the crystal cannot equal it: and the exchange of it shall not be for jewels (vessels) of fine (pure) gold. No mention shall be made of coral, or of pearls (quartz or crystal): for the price of wisdom is above rubies. The topaz of Ethiopia shall not equal it, neither shall it be valued with pure gold.’ (Job 28:12-19)

Ah friends, it seems that none of earth’s valuables can purchase those marvellous attributes of wisdom and understanding. No sir! They cannot be purchased with earthly wealth. So where then are they found? That’s Job’s next question. ‘Whence then cometh wisdom? and where is the place of understanding? Seeing it is hid from the eyes of all living, and kept close (concealed) from the fowls of the air (heaven). Destruction and death say, We have heard the fame thereof (the report of it) with our ears.’ (Job 28:20-22) So if no one knows where wisdom and understanding come from, but even death and destruction have heard of it, then what’s man to do?

 Job then tells us the source of wisdom and understanding. ‘God understandeth the way thereof, and he knoweth the place thereof. For he looketh to the ends of the earth, and seeth under the whole heaven: To make the weight for the winds; and he weigheth the waters by measure. When he made a decree (set a limit) for the rain, and a way for the lightning of the thunder (thunderbolt): Then did he see it (wisdom), and declare it; he prepared it, yea, and searched it out. And unto man he said, Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil, is understanding.’ (Job. 28:23-28)

Yes friends, those are the issues of wisdom and understanding, and they only come through the Lord God Almighty! And the sooner we recognize and appreciate that, the sooner we will become more effective in our witness for Christ.  And as the scholars tell us, ‘wisdom and understanding are only conveyed through the controlling factor of the fear of the Lord. This concept of the fear of the Lord unites all the wisdom books  (cf. Prov. 1:7; Eccl. 12:13)’ And we do know those scriptures: Proverbs 1:7, tells us: ‘The fear of the Lord is the beginning (the principal beginning) of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.’

And what’s the fear of the Lord you ask? The scholars explain: ‘The fear of the Lord means submission to the Lord and His revelation. When one is afraid of something, he either runs from it or submits to it. The latter idea is in view here. It is a healthy fear, like the fear of electricity or the fear of one’s parents, which causes one to act in an appropriate manner. The beginning does not mean that the fear of the Lord is left behind in the course of acquiring wisdom, but that it is the controlling principle of wisdom.’ So now you know about the beginning and the fear of the Lord. (smile)

Then the verses from Ecclesiastes tells us: ‘Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. For God shall bring every work into judgement, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.’ (Eccl. 12:13-14) And yuh know what my brethren, if Cousin Sol, the wisest man ever says it’s so, then it’s so! No ifs and buts about it. He had the time, the resources and the knowledge to check it all out.

Therefore, we’d better be careful of our earthly doings, for God will bring everything we do to judgement eventually… and we won’t be able to make any simpering excuses then. No, we will have to stand our bounce. So please lets’ wise up now, and begin living the way we ought to. Or, as the scholars point out: ‘God has not answered every problem of life, but He has commanded man to live joyfully, responsibly, and wisely. Finally, the controlling factor of all of life should be the fear of God, that is, submission to God and His revelation. The certainty of divine judgement demands it.’

And Judgement Day will surely come my people! There’s no doubt about that, so please, let’s get prepared! And for those of us who are trying our best to do so, let’s go home declaring (chuh!!!) our Wednesday Wail, letting the whole world know of our wonderful position in Christ Jesus. ‘Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: I’m so glad to be alive on this Wednesday! Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: Thank God the breath of life is still flowing through me on this Wednesday! I am halfway home. My hands are fixed securely on the plough, and I’m not turning back. I’m not looking back at the past, not focusing on what has gone before. But my eyes are fixed straight ahead; straight ahead to a glorious future with Jesus. Glory Hallelujah!’ 

Furthermore, it’s been promised that all who endure to the end with Jesus, will enjoy a future so glorious that the human mind cannot imagine or comprehend. So let’s be wise; fear the Lord and endure to the very end, so that we can enjoy that glorious future together! Much LOVE!

…wisdom dictates…that if we’re to fear…the most obvious Being to fear…is our Creator and Controller…

Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien

Today’s Scrip-Bit 3 November 2015 Proverbs 9:10

03 Nov 2015 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

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

Oh Friends, welcome to another wonderful day in the annals of mankind! Brother! It’s promising to be a terrific Tuesday in my neighbourhood, with the temperature around 17 Celsius and the sun shining brightly. 

In fact the weather is supposed to be in the mid to high teens for most of this week, accompanied by mostly sunshine. Glory Hallelujah! That’s certainly somewhat unusual weather for this time of year, but we’re not complaining and will gladly take it, even giving off a most thankful ‘Glory to God!’ (smile)  

Anyway, let’s get right to our Tuesday Mantra, for there are lots of things to share today. 

As one voice now: ‘I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with the world.  Amen.’ 

Yes my brethren, that’s who we are; children of God! That’s our main identifier in this world – beloved children of God to boot! That means we’re not supposed to fret or worry over anything, just take it all to our trusted Friend, our Brother, our Lord and Saviour, our God, Jesus Christ. 

Wow! Is He many things to us or what! That just goes to show how great and noble He is, and why we should put our complete trust in Him, surrender our entire lives to His will. Oh glory to the Most High God, He of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob! 

Now here are some inspiring words from Gramps Schuller (Dr. Robert H Schuller) – gone but not forgotten – from his Hour of Power Devotional. It’s titled ‘When the Road Ahead Is Short.’ 

Please pray with me: ‘O God, from the vantage point of today the road ahead looks very short. I sense that I am about to reach the end. Remind me that every time of ending is always a time of new beginning. Every time one door closes, another door opens. 

Every sunset is a move closer to a new sunrise. Death is always the prelude to resurrection. Help me to forgive myself for my imperfections and faults. I dishonour you when I disgrace myself by nursing regrets over my human shortcomings. 

Help me to honour you by recalling great accomplishments you made possible through my life. So let me come to the end of the road with pride behind me, LOVE around me, and hope ahead of me – only to discover that what I thought was the end of the road is a bend in the road leading me into an exciting new world of opportunity or eternity.’ 

Yes my fellow believers, there are lots of truths in that prayer. Every time one door closes, another one opens; the ending of one thing or aspect of our lives is always the beginning of another. And above all when we do reach the end of the earthly road, there is the glory of eternity with God to behold and look forward to! 

And all God’s people declared a loud and thankful ‘Glory Hallelujah! Blessed is the Lamb that was slain, so that we could inherit eternity!’ 

Yes Friends, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ is indeed most worthy and deserving of all glory and blessing, adoration and worship! 

Now let’s turn to our Bit which encapsulates all that we’ve said so far, and takes us even further into the real of wisdom and truth. 

Hear now my people, these divine words of Cousin Sol: from the Book of Proverbs. ‘The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the Holy (One) is understanding.’ 

Gospel truth that in spades my brethren! For until we come to reverence the Lord God our Creator and to know His ways and means, we’re like sheep lost in the wilderness. And the only way we can achieve those things is by reading and studying His Word written in His Holy Book, the Bible. 

Now that to some, is like cursing them. But the actual fact of the matter is that when you don’t read God’s Word, that is when you are really cursed and left hanging out to dry, to live by your own wits, which don’t really add up to much, and won’t get you very far. 

But when you know the One and Only True Living God, then the whole world opens up to you; the whole world is your oyster, so to speak. (smile) 

Now let’s check some other scriptures that also give the great advice found in our Bit. First up is Job’s declaration, as he speaks of wisdom being God’s gift. He ends the chapter thus: ‘And unto man he said, Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil is understanding.’ (Job 28:28) No doubt about that my people! 

Meanwhile in the first chapter of Proverbs, Cousin Sol issues this immense warning. ‘The fear (reverential awe) of the Lord is the (principal) beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.’ (Prov.1:7) What glorious words of truth those are Friends! 

And I think we’ll end today with some very useful explanations on that verse from the scholars. ‘1:7. The fear of the Lord means submission to the Lord and His revelation. When one is afraid of something, he either runs from it or submits to it. The latter idea is in view here. It is a healthy fear, like the fear of electricity or the fear of one’s parents, which causes one to act in an appropriate manner. 

The beginning does not mean that “the fear of the Lord” is left behind in the course of acquiring wisdom, but that it is the controlling principle of wisdom.’ 

Okay my fellow believers, let’s write all of that indelibly in our hearts, souls, minds and bodies today, then get to wisely practicing it. Much LOVE!

…true wisdom is ONLY available from and through Almighty God…