August 18
The Beginning
of Wisdom
Psalm 111:10
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; all who follow His precepts have good understanding. To Him belongs eternal praise.
Daily Steps
Having secured peace in Christ (Month 12), the new believer must now understand how to live out that peace with practical intelligence and spiritual maturity. This verse introduces the foundational principle of all godly living: The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.
The peace in this principle is found in reverent obedience:
Defining the Fear: The fear of the Lord is not terror, but a profound, reverent awe and respect for God's holiness (The Pursuit of Holiness, Day 198) and majesty. It is the recognition of His ultimate Sovereignty (Day 219) that leads to submission and obedience. This reverent fear is the starting point—the beginning—of all true spiritual wisdom.
The Path to Understanding: True understanding comes not from human knowledge, but from action: all who follow His precepts have good understanding. The pathway to spiritual intelligence is practical obedience (Day 220) to God’s commands. As you trust and obey, the mysteries of God’s will become clearer.
The Resulting Praise: The final result of a life lived in reverent awe and obedience is the recognition of God’s eternal worth: To Him belongs eternal praise. A wise life is one that continually directs glory back to its source—the Lord Himself.
Your peace is secured by reverent awe. Embrace the fear of the Lord today as the foundation of your faith, knowing that this reverent respect is the beginning of wisdom and the path to understanding.
Reflective Question
If the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, what is one area of your life where you currently demonstrate more fear of man (Day 190) than reverent awe of God? What is one precept you can follow today to gain good understanding?
Prayer
Heavenly Father, I praise You for Your majesty and holiness. I pray for a genuine, reverent fear of the Lord to be the beginning of wisdom in my heart.
Give me the grace to follow Your precepts so that I may gain good understanding. Secure my peace today in the knowledge that all eternal praise belongs to You. Amen.
