Where True Wisdom Comes From

Psalm 111

A show of hands - how many of you would like to be thought of as wise, to have a good share of wisdom?  I believe most of you would raise your hand.  I sure would.  Most people think of wisdom as having a lot of knowledge, like one gets after many years in school and a university degree or two.  Then if one continues to read and study throughout the rest of their life, and applies what they know to their life, then that person might be considered wise and knowledgeable.

What does God’s Word say about obtaining wisdom?  Our psalm for today gives us a clue as to who God considers wise, and how to become a wise person. In verse 10 we read, “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom”.  To become a wise person in God’s eyes starts with showing Him proper fear.  This doesn’t mean that we have to have a terror, horror, or dread of Him, like we would from someone with a gun who has broken into our house at night, or after a terrible nightmare, or when we come face to face with some huge and hungry animal.  The fear of the Lord is having a holy awe, a reverence, and a proper respect for God’s power and authority.  All true believers should have that type of fear of the Lord.  This fear of the Lord should bring obedience and respect for His commands, laws, and principles.  If we have a fear of God we need not have any other fears.

As we see in God’s Word, the only way to be truly wise is to have a fear of God. He, alone, is the source of wisdom.  The way to develop a proper fear of the Lord to come to truly know Him, and the best possible way to do that is by studying His Word.  The more we follow and obey God, the more insight and understanding He will give in His Word.

Our psalmist tells us that as we study all of the works of the Lord, we will find pleasure and delight in them (vs. 2).  Going over in our mind, and talking with others about the many wonderful things God has done, and of all His mighty works, is a good way to draw closer to Him.  By doing that we will develop this proper fear of the Lord, and begin to become one who has wisdom.

One of the works of the Lord that the psalmist tells of is that He has provided food for those who fear Him (vs. 5).  Have you ever gone for any time where food in your house wasn’t plentiful?  If that has ever been the case, then you know to be truly thankful that He provides for your every meal.

Another of the Lord’s works that the psalmist tells us is that He always keeps His covenants, His promises to His people (vs. 5). People can, and often do, let us down because they do not keep their promises.  Their word doesn’t always hold up.  God’s Word and promises, however, are iron-clad.  We can trust Him, that whatever He has promised us, He will keep.  We can rest assured that His Word is true and good (vs. 7-8).

One more work of God that our psalmist reminds us of, one that I believe is the most important one mentioned in this psalm, is that He has provided our redemption (vs. 9).  Redemption means the recovery of something.   When mankind sinned in Genesis 3, we were lost to God, and fell into the hands of Satan.  Jesus came and died, shedding His Blood in order to bring us back to Him.  The payment was made for all, but only those who acknowledge this, and accept His payment personally on their behalf, are redeemed.  Have you accepted the costly payment He made on your behalf?  If you haven’t yet, please call upon Him this very day.  This is the most important decision you can make, and a sign of a truly wise man.