⁴If you seek it like silver

and search for it like hidden treasure,

⁵then you will understand the fear of the Lord

and discover the knowledge of God.

Proverbs 2:4-5 (CSB)

Yesterday we discovered the foundation of all knowledge and wisdom: the fear of the Lord. But what if I don’t quite get this “fear of the Lord”? If you’re like me, you have your good days and your bad days with God. Some days you might be on fire for God, ready to love and obey Him with everything you’ve got. Other days, you might feel like He’s far from you, or maybe you even put Him on the backburner at times. This can leave us feeling like we don’t really see God the way we should. If we don’t have “the fear of the Lord”, which is the beginning of knowledge (Proverbs 1:7) and wisdom (Proverbs 9:10), then how can we get those things?

In Proverbs 2, Solomon introduces nuances into the balance of the fear of the Lord and wisdom. It’s true that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge and wisdom, but here he tells us that seeking wisdom leads to understanding “the fear of the Lord”. So which comes first? To put it simply, both. If you don’t fear God, then you can never have true wisdom, and if you don’t seek wisdom, then your knowledge of God will remain shallow. If you fear the Lord, then you will be on the path to true wisdom, and as you seek this wisdom, your knowledge of God will deepen.

Our pursuit of wisdom will never be complete here on earth because we are broken people living in a broken world. This can be discouraging at times. After all, if I know I’ll never get there, why even start? But in reality, the gift of wisdom from God is amazing. We aren’t perfect, yet God promises to give us His knowledge and His wisdom if we seek it. That means that even if we aren’t feeling it today or if it seems like we’re starting at square one, with no knowledge or wisdom to our name, God will grant us wisdom, which He “gives to all generously and ungrudgingly” (James 1:5).

So whether you’re on fire for God or you’re feeling stuck, turn your heart to God, draw near to Him, seek true wisdom, and you will find yourself growing ever closer to our gracious, loving Creator.

Blessings,

Joleen