Wisdom and Where to Find It
Scripture Reading: 1 Samuel 24-25; Psalm 111
The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; and those who practice it have a good understanding. – Psalm 111:10-
In my new job, I don’t have as much time as I used to to listen to podcasts, but occasionally I do. The podcast world has become a competitive space that is filled with thousands of voices competing for an audience. A lot of them have taken to advertising, touting their shows ability to impart some otherwise unknown wisdom – how to be healthy, grow a garden, live well in your 20’s… - When I hear these ads I wonder how I survived so long without this Gnostic knowledge!
Our world flooded with information—podcasts, books, blogs, opinions. While these do have a place and can be useful, true wisdom is something different. Wisdom isn’t just knowing more; it’s living well. And according to Scripture, the very first step toward living well begins with something the world often misunderstands or avoids altogether: the fear of the Lord.
But what does it mean to "fear the Lord"?
The fear of the Lord is not a cringing terror before a cruel master. It is a humble reverence, a deep awareness of God’s holiness, power, and righteousness. It’s the attitude of heart that says, “God is God, and I am not.” It is the kind of fear that leads not to hiding, but to worship. Not to silence, but to listening.
Wisdom begins when we take our proper place before the Lord—as learners, not experts; as creatures, not creators. It starts when we stop treating God as an accessory to our lives and recognize Him as the source of life itself.
The Psalm in our reading today, ends by saying that wisdom starts not with education or experience, but with reverence. That may seem backward to a world that rewards cleverness and confidence. But in God’s kingdom, the path to understanding begins with bowing low.
Job, in all his searching and suffering, finally heard this truth from the Lord Himself:
“Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; and to turn away from evil is understanding” (Job 28:28).
Fearing the Lord shapes how we treat others, how we make decisions, how we handle success or sorrow. It realigns our hearts to God’s values. It keeps us teachable. It gives us clarity in a foggy world.
And most importantly, the fear of the Lord leads us to Christ—the one in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge (Colossians 2:3). Ultimately, true wisdom is not a principle, but a person.
In the end, wisdom isn’t measured by college degrees, conferences attended, or books read. It will come out of a heart that fears the Lord and worships the One who is wisdom itself – Jesus Christ.
