The Fear of the Lord Brings Good Understanding

The Fear of the Lord is a profound reverence and awe towards God 

“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; all those who practice it have a good understanding. His praise endures forever!” (Psalm 111:10 ESV)

When I was in grade school, I read and memorized a little poem called “Somebody’s Boy.” It was very moving and thought provoking. Brace yourself, it’s heart wrenching.

Somebody’s Boy

Author Unknown

“Somebody’s boy was crossing the street, innocent, young, and fair.

He hadn’t the judgement of older folks and didn’t see danger there.

Somebody’s boy with a song on his lips, but it died in an instant away;

For a motorist ran the little boy down, and he died at the close of the day.

Somebody kneels at the foot of a bed, tight in her grasp a small shoe.

Somebody cries through the endless night, aren’t you glad that someone isn’t you!”

This little poem had a very profound effect on me. I’ve pondered it many times over the years. I thought about the great loss to the parents and how heartbroken and grief-stricken the mother was. I thought about what they might have done to have prevented that tragic accident from happening in the first place. Of course, sometimes accidents happen so quickly that there’s nothing that could have been done to prevent them. But, practical common since measures can be put in place to lesson the chances.

When my children were small I made sure I did everything I could do to make sure they were kept safe. Because we lived next to a busy street, I built a good fence and I constantly reminded them to look both ways while crossing the street.

The fear of the Lord brings wisdom and understanding

I also worked to teach my children to use good judgment in other areas of their lives, to understand the difference between good and evil and to make wise choices. This I knew was a bi-product of being born again (receiving Christ as Savior) and practicing the fear of the Lord personally. The promise verse at the top says, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; all those who practice it have a good understanding.” And this understanding will give them what they need in every area of their lives and will protect them in many ways throughout their lives. 

Therefore

“And he said to man, ‘Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom, and to turn away from evil is understanding.’” (Job 28:28 ESV)

Tomorrow, more about the fear of the Lord and what it produces.