“The fear of the LORD is the beginning of Wisdom.” Psalm 111 concludes with this statement. The rest of the psalm therefore gives us insight into what wisdom consists of. The ‘fear of the LORD’ is an ultimate regard for God. It indicates reverence and the desire to please and not displease God. Wisdom begins, in other words, with a certain view of God. If you have this view then, by this, you will see and understand everything more clearly. The content of that view is described in verses 2-9 of Psalm 111. To gain wisdom we should ponder on the greatness of God’s works, we should remember his wonders and consider his power. But, in the light of this, we should also reflect on God’s grace and compassion. We should remember that he is faithful to his covenant promises and intensely invested in our lives. We should remember what he has done to redeem us and what he does to care for us. The fear of the LORD arises from the combination of God’s immanence together with his transcendence. To put this another way, the fear of the LORD arises when we are placed in an intimate relationship with such a mighty and powerful God. If God were only high and lofty, we might be scared of him, but this isn’t the ‘fear of the LORD’ that is enjoined to us in Scripture. The ‘fear of the LORD’ arises because this high and lofty God has come face to face with us and is with us always.
Reflect on who God is and what he has done. Praise him.
Read Psalm 111
