Today's Meditation
Read Psalm 111
1Praise the Lord! I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart, in the company of the upright, in the congregation.
2Great are the works of the Lord, studied by all who delight in them.
3Full of honor and majesty is his work, and his righteousness endures forever.
4He has gained renown by his wonderful deeds; the Lord is gracious and merciful.
5He provides food for those who fear him; he is ever mindful of his covenant.
6He has shown his people the power of his works, in giving them the heritage of the nations.
7The works of his hands are faithful and just; all his precepts are trustworthy.
8They are established forever and ever, to be performed with faithfulness and uprightness.
9He sent redemption to his people; he has commanded his covenant forever. Holy and awesome is his name.
10The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; all those who practice it have a good understanding. His praise endures forever.
"The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; all those who practice it have a good understanding." (verse 10)
This is probably one of the most misunderstood phrases in all of scripture and it occurs many times throughout the Bible. In our American English understanding of this word - fear - we immediately think of something to be afraid of, to be scared/frightened of. And that understanding certainly fits if you view God as an angry, punishing God or a God that passes judgment and consequences on those who do wrong, casting them into the pit of Hell. But this word in Hebrew is yirah and it encompasses a much more dynamic meaning. Yirah means to be completely full of reverence or awe in respect and honor to the point of bowing down. Because to look upon it (God) face-to-face is frightening, in a way, certainly in comparison to something that is less spectacular, less magnificent (us).
This "fullness of awesome or reverential respect" of God is just the beginning of gaining wisdom. Putting God in proper perspective; as the creator of the Universe, as the awesome author of life, as its sole source of existence is yirah.
The second step of gaining wisdom is the accumulation of knowledge. The knowledge of what God has done through the generations of humans, through the centuries and ages of the earth's existence, through the eons of time and the expanse of what God has created. The physical sciences, philosophy, psychology, sociology and all of their discoveries are only brushing the surface of this knowledge. All of that knowledge leads only to more yirah of the Lord.
With more knowledge, we begin to gain an understanding, we begin to have an inkling of wisdom that comes from that understanding. Such as how best to use that knowledge for the benefit of one another, how best to enable ourselves and our planet in relation to the cosmos to exist in harmony. But it all must begin with "fear of the Lord", otherwise it is empty and useless information.
May you be in "fear in the Lord" today.
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