The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; all those who practice it have a good understanding. His praise endures forever.” vs. 10
Psalm 111:5-10
Wisdom was a major concern of those who wrote our scriptures. There’s a whole category of writing that is known as “Wisdom Literature,” and that includes books like Proverbs and Ecclesiastes. Often we see it contrasted with foolishness, as in the teachings of Jesus where he speaks of wise maidens who brought extra oil for their lamps, and the foolish who didn’t. He concluded the Sermon on the Mount by describing the wise as those who built their houses upon rock, and the foolish as those who had foundations of sand. Quite clearly wisdom is a virtue or quality that is aspired to by many, yet acquired by few. The psalmist says that “the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom,” and the testimony of the ages gives credence to his observation. There are a lot of smart people in the world, straight A students and folks with multiple advanced degrees, and some of them say and do remarkably foolish things because they have left God out of their calculus for living. A truly wise person knows that God is, and with that foundational knowledge, will speak and act with humility and a deep sense of their own fallibility. We all know such people and count it a blessing to have them as friends. They’re like oak trees among us and it’s a pleasure to bask in the shade and stability of their presence!
Thought for the Day: Wise people I have known.
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