The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.
Proverbs 9:10
As a pilot, I've come to appreciate how much knowledge is required to fly a plane. Before I ever took to the cockpit controls, I had to study countless training materials and digest as many raw facts as possible. And the knowledge I acquired has served me well. But any pilot will tell you that it takes much more than a healthy knowledge of "raw facts" to effectively fly a plane -- it takes experience.
Hundreds, even thousands, of hours of experience. All the books in the world can tell you how to take off, how to land, how to handle an emergency, what to expect in a crisis -- but until you sit in the pilot's seat yourself, none of those facts mean anything. You must learn the facts, but more importantly, you must learn to apply them.
To be wise is not just to know facts, but to know how to apply them. Wisdom is not just knowing how to take a step, but knowing which step to take. Here's the problem: Proverbs 20:24 says, "A man's steps are of the Lord; how then can a man understand his own way?" We have ambitions, we have goals, and we have intentions, but though "a man's heart plans his way, the Lord directs his steps" (Proverbs 16:9).
You see, our lives are like a flight where we occupy the pilot's seat, completely blindfolded. When there's not a lot of turbulence, and we're at a comfortable cruising altitude, we can probably do just fine for a while.
After all, not a lot of action is required. In fact, we can even start to get comfortable, believing that we're in control. But as soon as we encounter turbulence -- much less a full-on emergency -- we fool ourselves if we think we know what decision to make. We're blindfolded! We might know from experience how to find certain cockpit controls, but how could we possibly know which controls to use if we can't even see what's happening to the plane?
Meanwhile, God is sitting there with us the whole time, armed with a full flight plan, able to see the skies, and willing to guide our hands at the controls. Our blindfold prevents us from seeing Him, and our panic sometimes prevents us from hearing Him, but if we listen closely, He speaks His words of love and guidance to us. All we must do is give Him control. He will guide our hands. He, and He alone, can effectively fly the plane.
"The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom." When we surrender control of our lives to God, acknowledging that He, and He alone, has the understanding, perspective, and ultimate love for us to guide us in everything we do, we show that we honor and fear Him -- and we take the first step towards true wisdom. We don't just know the will of God, we apply it. You see, when we fear the Lord, He is not just a piece of knowledge to us. In fact, He is not just someone in whom we believe. "For even the demons believe [in God] -- and tremble!" (James 2:19).
To fear the Lord is to surrender to Him.
It is listening to His voice, even when we're not experiencing "turbulence." It is acknowledging our own blindness, and relying on His vision. And it is submitting ourselves to His plan, even when we don't understand it. That is the beginning of true wisdom.
Today, whether you're in the midst of blue skies or storms, let God guide you. Listen to His voice, and surrender everything to Him. "If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him" (James 1:5).
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