Return to What You Know:

“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.” Proverbs 15:33

 

One morning, my son and I watched our dog, Wescott, from the breakfast room window. We had let him outside to complete his morning routine. He had been outside for quite some time, so we peeked out to see what he had been doing. Several years ago, we noticed the poisonous mushrooms that would grow from the soil after the spores had spread to our yard, from the previous yard(s), that the landscapers had mowed. Wescott learned from our past instructions, and his own experiences that these cute little white objects of attention would do him harm. He would vomit every time he had eaten one of these mushrooms.

While watching him from the window this particular day, we noticed his temptation to at least smell the mushrooms. My son and I laughed at his disposition, because it seemed that he was engulfed by the beauty and smell of these God created organisms. So, I tapped the window sternly and he automatically returned to what he had learned and had been taught. My son and I laughed, but while laughing, I quoted Proverbs 15:33. “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. God’s wisdom begins with the fear of the Lord. We must respect God's wisdom in all matters in life.

 

To fear God is to acknowledge His control and amazing power over the universe. It is a respect for who He is as our Creator. He is omniscient; the One who knows everything about everything and everyone. We are to reverence His mastery over His creation. MacArthur writes, the fear of the Lord means to “reverence and honor” who God is. We reverence His majesty and overwhelming power of love, His unchanging or unwavering attributes, and His gracious, but not passive character. I shared with my son that we are accountable to God, and we must not forget His teachings or His standards. When we are tested, we must remember what we have been taught. We must always return to what we know.

 

Keep in mind:

God created humanity in His image; therefore, you cannot hide from Him.

God is all powerful, all knowing, and He forever lives to protect His people.

We are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works (Ephesians 2:10).

 

Encourage and Be Encouraged!