Dave's Diary

Daily Readings: James 3:13-18 and Psalm 111

“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom…”

Psalm 111:10

This famous principle is echoed in various places in Scripture, for example Job 28:28; Proverbs 1:7 and 9:10. But what exactly does it mean?

I believe that the fear of the Lord involves holding God in such reverence, honour and awe that one’s deepest desire is to be pleasing to God and to bring Him delight. For the Christian, that desire is not born of the fear of punishment if one fails to please God. Rather it is born of love for God. To “fear God” is to love and revere God with every fibre of one’s being. To fear God is to understand the extent of God’s love for us in Jesus, and to desire with all our hearts to respond to that love by only ever bringing God joy and delight. The thing a true “God-fearer” fears is somehow causing sadness in the heart of the God Whom we love, because we honour God above all else!

Why would this degree of love for God be the true foundation of Godly wisdom? Because it motivates us to consider our every action extremely carefully in the light of what we know to be the will of God. By God’s grace, Godly wisdom and the capacity to make God-pleasing decisions flow from this core desire.

According to James 3, this Godly wisdom produces a life full of purity, peacefulness, consideration towards others, loving kindness, justice and sincerity – all consistent with the holiness and loveliness of God, and all deeply pleasing to God.

God of love, I love You, and I long to live a life that is pleasing to You in every way. Please grant me the wisdom to know how to do so in every situation I face today. Amen.