Are You Foolish?

“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and discipline.”
Proverbs 1:7 CSB

I like simple concepts. I like things that are spelled out for me so I don’t have to guess what I need to do. I like it when people tell me the truth without taking me through a guessing game first. This verse is one of those straightforward truths that I love. If I want understanding, I need to put God first and trust only Him. Putting God first leads me to a disciplined life and a humble attitude toward the wisdom of God and other mature believers. Thinking I know it all and I don’t need discipline leads to a broken, scattered, undisciplined life, with me always wondering why I have it so hard. Solomon tells us that refusing to listen to wisdom and refusing to be disciplined makes me a fool. So just fear God. Sounds so easy, right? It’s not. Our old nature fights against us every step of the way. Our old nature does not want to admit that God knows best and that my way is not the best way. Yet when we yield to God and humble ourselves to His will, “He will lift us up.” He will grant us insight and ability way beyond what we should have. I hope that you have determined in your heart and spirit to trust God above all, to fear Him and only Him. If not, there is another verse in Proverbs that you may want to put into practice. Here it is (I will let the verse speak for itself): “Even a fool is considered wise when he keeps silent — discerning, when he seals his lips.” Proverbs 17:28 CSB.

-Pastor Tim