The Beginning of Wisdom

Have you ever struggled to balance closeness to God with a deep reverence for who He is? It’s comforting to know God as our loving Father and faithful Friend, but He is also the holy, all-powerful Creator of the universe. How do we approach God with intimacy while also standing in awe of His greatness?

“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.”
– Proverbs 9:10 NKJV

Isaiah’s vision gives us a powerful picture of this balance (See Isaiah 6). When Isaiah saw the Lord “high and lifted up,” seated on His throne, and surrounded by angels crying out, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts,” the holiness of God was so overwhelming that Isaiah’s first response was one of humility and confession. He said, “Woe is me, for I am undone! Because I am a man of unclean lips.” In the presence of God’s perfect holiness, Isaiah became deeply aware of his own sinfulness and inadequacy.

But God didn’t leave Isaiah in that place of despair. In His mercy, God instructed one of the seraphim—an angel of the highest class—to touch Isaiah’s lips with a coal from the altar, saying, “Your iniquity is taken away, and your sin purged.”

After experiencing both the awe of God’s holiness and the tenderness of His forgiveness, Isaiah was ready to respond to God’s call with a heart full of reverence and obedience, saying, “Here am I! Send me.”

May we become so captivated by God’s greatness that we humbly surrender to His love and authority.

When we speak of the “fear of the Lord,” we’re not talking about a fear that causes us to run from God, but a reverent awe that draws us closer to Him. It’s the recognition that He is infinitely holy, powerful, and majestic, and yet He invites us into relationship with Him. This kind of reverence brings us into wisdom, humility, and worship. It helps us see God as He truly is and ourselves as we truly are: loved, forgiven, and called to reflect His glory.

As we take time to reflect on God’s greatness—His power displayed in creation, His holiness revealed in Scripture, and His mercy shown through Jesus—it cultivates a deep sense of awe and wonder. That’s the fear of the Lord that transforms our hearts so deeply that we live our lives marked by worship, obedience, and wisdom. It’s this awe-filled reverence that allows us to grow closer to God while honoring Him for who He truly is.

Today’s One Thing
Spend intentional time today meditating on God’s majesty. Take a walk and marvel at the beauty of His creation. Open your Bible and reflect on passages that reveal His holiness, such as Isaiah 6, Psalm 8, or Revelation 4. Let these moments deepen your awe and inspire a heart of worship.

Go Deeper

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