The Beginning and The End

UV 4181/10000 The Beginning and the End The (reverent)fear of the Lord (that is, worshipping Him and regarding Him as truly awesome) is the beginning and the preeminent part of knowledge ( its starting point and its essence); But arrogant fools despise ( skillful and godly) wisdom and instruction and self-discipline. Proverbs 1 v 7 A person who does not revere, believe, worship God has not even begun the process of knowledge, wisdom, understanding. He is a non starter, not even a beginner in the realm of true knowledge, wisdom and understanding. He may be a genius, (like Stephen Hawking) intellectually and in the esteem of the world but he is an arrogant fool in the sight of God. He arrogates to himself the right to ignore the evidence and experience that ordinary individuals from the beginning have had of God working in their lives. The latter, implying the believers, the godly hold God in great awe and such reverence is the starting block in their race for knowledge, wisdom, understanding. They do not despise or ignore the word of God that contains great wisdom, amazing instructions and is the source of self-discipline. We who believe move from awe and reverence to trust and love of God as we begin to understand more and more about His love, His grace, His justice, His power, His sovereignty, His wisdom, His knowledge, His understanding. Every day is a journey a little closer, a little deeper in knowing the Lord a little better. If reverence is the starting block for the faithful in the human race, then love of God is the finishing point for the race. The love of God is manifest in Christ Jesus who is full of grace and truth. Jesus personifies the love, wisdom, power of God. He is the repository of all the wisdom and knowledge of God. The uni-verse then shows that the worldly wise actually are foolish and those who are regarded as foolish in the eyes of the world, in the eyes of unbelieving scientists, scholars and the like are actually wise, understanding and knowledgeable. Their knowledge itself blinds them to the greater and deeper truths of God that can be grasped only through reverence of God and through faith. But we are not to look on them with pride or contempt but with compassion and understanding for we, ourselves were once like them- foolish and arrogant in what we thought was our wisdom and knowledge. Being in awe of God is only the beginning and we need to grow and manifest the love of God in Christ to all.