Fear, Learn, Be Humble

DEVOTION

PROVERBS

FEAR, LEARN, BE HUMBLE

Prov 15:33

33 The fear of the LORD teaches a man wisdom, and humility comes before honor.

NIV

It is really possible the fear of the Lord teaches us wisdom or that wisdom teaches us the fear of the Lord as the original language could be read both ways. Yet it is right to say that the fear of the Lord does teach a man to be wise, and this is most likely the meaning here. It would surely make sense that if a person does not fear, or reverence the Lord that person would not be wise, but instead would be extremely foolish. We already know that Solomon said that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom and one of the Psalms says exactly the same words. When we fear or revere the Lord we spend energies learning his precepts and thus we gain the wisdom of God. When we spend our energy learning the precepts of man, we are only left with the precepts of man, which has no wisdom at all, but when we learn the precepts of God we are enhanced with divine wisdom, which is so far above any man’s attempts at wisdom that it cannot even be compared. Who in their right mind would refuse such wisdom? Yet is appears many are not in their right mind, thus they are in their wrong or own mind and apparently fools, living only in what they think is the wisdom of man. We also must blend this wisdom from God with humility. If we go around claiming to have the wisdom of God, prideful and boasting about how much Godly wisdom we have, then we have lost all the truth here. The person who does learn the wisdom of God will also accept it humbly knowing it is not of self, but from God. There is no honor at all in pride, not an ounce of honor would be given to one who boasts and brags about his own accomplishments, and learning wisdom from God isn't even an accomplishment as  it is a gift. So let us fear God, learn his wisdom in humility.