Weekly Devotional 12th of September, 2025
by Bruce Billington
Weekly Devotional 12th of September, 2025
Proverbs 1:7,20 – “7 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge; Fools despise wisdom and instruction… 20 Wisdom shouts in the street, She lifts her voice in the square;”
Verse 7 – The fear of the Lord alone opens the door to wisdom. So, what exactly is the fear of the Lord? It involves recognising who God is and giving Him the respect, reverence, and authority He rightly deserves. A person who genuinely fears the Lord submits to and obeys Him. Their life will reflect an attitude of submission and obedience towards God. Anything less than obedience does not truly represent the fear of God.
This is the central theme of Proverbs. The fear of the LORD involves worship of the Lord and respectful submission to His authority in every area of life. We are not qualified to profit by the instructions that are given us unless our minds are possessed with a holy reverence for God, and every thought within us is brought into obedience to him.
Note that the name of God is Yahweh (Hebrew) or Jehovah (Greek), which is the personal, covenant name of God. The fear of Yahweh is the key to wisdom. Many believe that all religions ultimately worship the same god, but the only true and living God has revealed Himself in His Word. He has revealed His name to us, and it is Yahweh. The fear of all other so-called gods is not the beginning of knowledge. The fear of Yahweh—Him and Him alone—is the beginning of knowledge.
Further to this, Yahweh is God’s covenant name. It is the name that He uses when establishing a relationship with people. When we truly trust the only true and living God, we know the Creator of the universe. As Creator, God knows what life is meant to be. Therefore, He is bound to impart His wisdom about life to those who genuinely trust Him, to teach them about…
life’s beginning and purpose
life’s meaning and significance
life’s end or destiny
He also teaches His true followers how to live victoriously in a world corrupted by sin and evil forces. Wisdom is not found in studying and gaining more and more information or truths. Wisdom is the result of a relationship with God. And this relationship is only possible through His Son, Jesus Christ, the Saviour of the human race (POSB).
Verse 20 – Wisdom must be cherished and pursued. In Proverbs 7:4, we are advised to consider her as a sister and understand her as a close friend. Those who discover wisdom are truly blessed. In itself, it surpasses all material possessions that can be desired (Proverbs 8:11).
Those who love wisdom are dedicated to a lifelong pursuit of learning. By continually seeking wisdom, knowledge, and understanding, a person will deepen their grasp of Yahweh’s world. Wisdom also offers the necessary perspectives to shield a person from the evil one, who tries to lead followers down a long, winding road rather than the straight and narrow path. The long, winding road destroys those who follow evil into it and undermines the very foundation of community life (Proverbs 6:19).
While clearly acknowledging the sovereign providence of God (Proverbs 16:9), Proverbs also depicts people as capable of making genuine choices and being responsible for the outcomes of those choices. In this regard, people reap what they sow and often in proportion to what they sow.
God has already stated that He is only too willing to give us His wisdom. Whether we receive it or not depends on whether we comply with His conditions. The reason for this is that it is so much a part of God’s character that He comes with it. That’s the power of it. In fact, if He doesn’t come with it, we can’t apply it because it often requires dying to ourselves and our rights.
His wisdom is inseparable from God, just as God is love, so also is He wisdom. We will consider this further at a later time.
God bless you.
Bruce Billington