Why Wisdom Begins with Awe

Biblical Wisdom for Flourishing Episode 25

This week, we’re exploring what it really means to “fear the Lord.” Not fear as terror—but awe. Reverence. The posture of being rooted in something bigger than ourselves.

When we fear the Lord, we don't shrink—we stabilize. We stop chasing control and instead live grounded in God’s presence. True wisdom begins with awe.

Proverbs 1:7 tells us that “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction.” But this “fear” isn’t terror. It is reverence. It’s the kind of holy respect that anchors a life in something greater than itself. For many, that “something” is the sacred core, an Ultimate reality, or God.

In ancient Israel, to fear the Lord wasn’t about appeasing an angry deity. It was about walking humbly in covenant relationship. Reverence became the root of wisdom and wisdom became the path to flourishing.

Sadly, we live in a time when we often chase control and quick answers. But Scripture invites us to something better: a rooted life. Reverence leads to rootedness. Rootedness nurtures wisdom. And wisdom bears the fruit of a flourishing life.

Try this:

Pause before acting. Ask: Does this decision reflect reverence?

Begin your morning in silence, whispering: “Lord, You are God—and I am not.”

Let reverence shape your goals and guide your plans this week.

Try This Reflective Wisdom Journal This Week:
Each morning, write: “To fear the Lord today means…”
Let that sentence ground you for the day and hopefully lead you into flourishing.