(Proverbs 9:10) The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.
I bought a new cell phone a couple of weeks ago.
Even though it is a low-end phone, it still has enough bells and whistles that I thought it a good idea to read through the owner’s manual.
The first part of the manual consisted of warnings. This was boring reading with predictable warnings. But then one warning attracted my attention. “Do not microwave the phone.” Huh? Why would the manufacturer warn me against microwaving my cell phone? Had someone actually tried to microwave a cell phone?
I can see it now. A user had dropped his phone into a sink full of water.
(Warning: Do not submerge the phone in water. Clean the outer surfaces with a soft, damp cloth.) After retrieving the phone from its forbidden immersion, he saw a short run in the microwave oven as the quickest way to dry the phone and to extend its useful life. The resultant explosion was a less than ideal ending to this accidental adventure.
“Warning: Do not microwave the phone.” Warnings are given because, without proper guidance, people will make poor choices and serious mistakes – they will microwave their cell phones.
That which is true in the care of electronic devices is equally true in the realm of spirituality–We need guidance. The prophet Jeremiah recognized this fact over 2600 years ago. “I know, O LORD, that a man’s life is not his own; it is not for man to direct his steps” (Jeremiah 10:23). Without Divine Guidance, we will make poor choices and serious mistakes in our attempts to be Godly.
That much needed Divine Guidance comes from the LORD Himself. Solomon instructs us that “the fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom…” (Proverbs 9:10). If we are to live Godly, holy lives we must live close to God. We must spend time in worship; we must spend time in Bible study; we must spend time in prayer; we must spend time in fellowship with God’s people.
To know God and to be shaped by God is to live in Divine Wisdom. And in that Divine Wisdom we will avoid many poor choices and the serious consequences that come with those poor choices.
(Ecclesiastes 12:13) “Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man.”