Chasing after Goodness

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 “Fear of the Lord is where wisdom begins;
    sure knowledge is for all who keep God’s laws.
        God’s praise lasts forever!”

- Psalm 111:10 CEB -


So if you have tuned in at all during this last summer’s Sunday night youth fellowship times, we have been looking at what does it take to be wise. (God pities the fool!) I admit that wisdom is one of those topics that just fascinates me about our faith and the call that God gives us as Christians. It feels like an embodiment of literally chasing after goodness.

We are told to be wise, but what do we exactly do to make wisdom? We are told that wisdom is a virtue, but rarely do we get or gain wisdom instantly. We can’t just download an app, approve an update or change to a better wiser model. Even in our Scripture, we are told that wisdom begins with “fear of the Lord” but that easily seems like a phrase that is just tossed around in the Bible.

King Solomon is attributed to having written much of the Proverbs in the Bible. There is a story in 1 Kings where Solomon has a dream/prayer where he talks to God how intimidating it is to follow his father, King David, as king. Though King David had his own share of mistakes, King David was also known for his faithfulness, righteousness and uprightness of heart. In comparison, King Solomon still felt like a little child trying to fill the throne of his father. King Solomon prayed for an understanding mind to help discern good and evil to thus better be the king God wanted him to be.

There is something in Solomon’s prayer that I love and that I can’t help but think gets to the heart of really fearing and loving God. Solomon wanted to be wiser to better do what God wanted him to do. God is ready to give us wisdom and so much more once we line up our hearts and minds with what God is ready and is doing in our lives and in our world.


To Read More: Psalm 111, 1 Kings 2:10-12, 3:3-14, Ephesians 5:15-20

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