Day 220 - The Fear of the Lord is the beginning of Knowledge

Today's Reading Prov. 1-2 and Phil. 4

I really can’t make adequate additional commentary... these verses in Proverbs are so profound and speak so deeply all by themselves. Basically... fearing the Lord, seeking the Lord, crying after the Lord is where all true knowledge and wisdom come from.

Prov. 1:5,7 - “A wise man will hear, and will increase learning; and a man of understanding shall attain unto wise counsels... The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.”

Prov. 2:1-6, “My son, if thou wilt receive my words, and hide my commandments with thee; So that thou incline thine ear unto wisdom, and apply thine heart to understanding; Yea, if thou criest after knowledge, and liftest up thy voice for understanding; If thou seekest her as silver, and searchest for her as for hid treasures; Then shalt thou understand the fear of the Lord, and find the knowledge of God. For the Lord giveth wisdom: out of his mouth cometh knowledge and understanding.”

If we want to be truly wise, it starts with the Lord! Let us not settle for a superficial relationship, a superficial filling, a superficial walk… Let us dare to go deeper… to seek after the Lord with all our hearts, like searching for hidden silver. Imagine if we prized the Lord as much as we prize the earthly glitter... where would we be?

Ellen White writes the following sobering statement!

"Most professed Christians have no sense of the spiritual strength they might obtain were they as ambitious, zealous, and persevering to gain a knowledge of divine things as they are to obtain the paltry, perishable things of this life. The masses professing to be Christians have been satisfied to be spiritual dwarfs. They have no disposition to make it their object to seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness; hence godliness is ahidden mystery to them, they cannot understand it. They know not Christ by experimental knowledge." (Counsels for the Church, p. 186)

Let's not be content to be spiritual dwarfs... let's seek after Him as hid treasure... He is the Treasure! And He tells us, "If you seek me, you will find me, when you search for me with all your heart!"

How can I skip over Philippians 4? So many practical tips for godly Christianity... In fact, Phil. 4:8 has become a mainstay verse to evaluate different things that come across my path... if it doesn't measure up to these principles, what part should it have in our life?

Anyway, before I close these notes, let me just look at Phil 4:19.... "But my God shall supply all your NEED according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus." (This is a very popular quoted verse...)

But do our hearts recognize our great need? If we aren't in NEED, what can God supply? Nothing, because we don't feel our need....

Ellen White writes, regarding this passage: "Let your heart break for the longing it has for God, for the living God. The life of Christ has shown what humanity can do by being partaker of the divine nature. All that Christ received from God we too may have. Then ask and receive. With the persevering faith of Jacob, with the unyielding persistence of Elijah, claim for yourself all that God has promised." (Christ Object Lessons, p. 149)

Tomorrow's Reading: Prov. 3-4 and Ps. 89