Notes of Faith March 5, 2026
Pastor’s Pen Pulpit
May 20, 2001
“THE PRINCIPAL PART OF WISDOM”
Proverbs 9:10
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.
For most people wisdom is an attainment through the educational process. If we can just acquire enough education of the right kind we will be a wise man or woman and people will look upon us as such. However, that is not how God assesses true wisdom. This may be human wisdom - but not true wisdom in the Biblical sense. Wisdom is the application of knowledge. In The Old Testament, wisdom is learning to live life skillfully. That is pretty much what it means in the New Testament, also. Wisdom is acquired of God (cf. James 1:5).
The fear of the Lord is not the kind of fear we usually think of (cf. 2 Tim 1:7). God’s people do not cringe before Him in abject dread. First of all we recognize who God is and all His attributes. Then we recognize and accept who we are in all our weakness. In coming to know this, we then come to see how small we are in His sight. We know that He holds our life in the palm of His hand, and that He can direct us in the way that He pleases. Our times are in His hands (cf. Ps 31:15).
This wonderful reality should cause us to stop and assess where we are in life. We are where we are because God in His wisdom has ordained it. One of the majestic things the fear of God will do for us is cause us to increase in wisdom. The fear of God teaches us to hate sin and evil and to avoid it at all costs.
So let me ask you in this pen pulpit, do you recognize who God is? Do you recognize and accept who you are in His eyes? Do you acknowledge His hand in your present circumstance and do you hate evil? If the answers to these questions is “yes”, then you have gained the principal part of wisdom. Let’s work on this together. God bless!
Love to you all,
Pastor Charles Covington
Ps 111:10
10 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom;
A good understanding have all those who do His commandments.
His praise endures forever.
Prov 2:2
incline your ear to wisdom,
And apply your heart to understanding
Prov 2:6
for the Lord gives wisdom;
From His mouth come knowledge and understanding
Prov 2:10-12
When wisdom enters your heart,
And knowledge is pleasant to your soul,
11 Discretion will preserve you;
Understanding will keep you,
12 To deliver you from the way of evil
1 Cor 1:30
you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God — and righteousness and sanctification and redemption
Col 1:9-12
9 For this reason we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; 10 that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; 11 strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power, for all patience and longsuffering with joy; 12 giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints
Col 1:28
28 we preach (Jesus), warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus.
Col 2:2-3
attaining to all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the knowledge of the mystery of God, both of the Father and of Christ, 3 in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.
James 1:5
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.
No one should be spiritually lacking in wisdom and understanding…if you ask such things of God, He will answer and provide beyond all that you could ask or even think, regarding Himself and His will for you!
Pastor Dale