Proverbs 1:7
“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction.”
We often find ourselves in the middle of situations where we do not know what to do. Arriving at a fork in the road, without road signs, we feel lost and confused. Often, the most difficult concern is the fear of making a bad decision. The Bible promises, in those times, the believer can call out to God, who will give us a liberal serving of wisdom. No matter what you are facing, the Bible will direct you to a good and godly decision. The purpose of the book of Proverbs, is to provide heavenly wisdom for earthly living. Solomon begins this long journey, consisting of hundreds of nuggets of godly advice, with the secret to obtaining wisdom. He tells us, all wisdom and knowledge must begin with a healthy fear of the Lord.
The fear of the Lord might be best defined as simply desiring to be pleasing to the Lord. The first step to problem solving is to ask ourselves, “What is most pleasing to the Lord?” If you are facing a problem in your personal life for which you need heavenly direction, the first step is to ask what God wants you to do. It is vital to remember, the answer to that question will be found in the pages of your Bible.
One of the most important of all the proverbs Solomon penned, is a word of warning found in Chapter 14.
Proverbs 14:12 “There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death.”
Instead of trying to figure things out on your own, or doing only what you think is best, take the time to look into the pages of God’s Word and do what He says.
Pastor Jim
Questions for Proverbs 1
1. Verses 1-6 offer a lot of benefits to heeding to instruction. Verse 7 sums up the how to receive these benefits. What is the beginning for this instruction?
2. How do sinners entice you? Verses 8-14
3. What is the outcome of the enticement? Verses 15-19
4. Wisdom cries out to us in verses 20-23, in what ways has wisdom spoken to you?
5. Verse 7 says that “fools despise wisdom and instruction.” In verses 24-32 gives us a scary picture of what happens when we do not fear the Lord and listen to His instruction. How many times have you heard someone cry out to God when things are a mess, yet never obey His Word?
6. Have you ever felt like you were in something you couldn’t understand? How is the Lord speaking to you in verse 28-29?
7. How would you describe verse 31? So many things we see in the world’s wisdom today relate here. Read Romans 1:18-25
8. Proverbs is full of principles of life; God’s Word is full of promises. Principles are a way of life, promise are sure foundations of those principles. As you read verse 33, take time to look at Psalm 91, Jeremiah 17:5-8, Matthew 11:28, Philippians 4:19. Are you holding to God’s promises and principles?
Old Testament:
Daniel 10- Fasting
Jim Gallagher 