Bible Reading: Proverbs 9:10-12
Fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. Knowledge of the Holy One results in understanding. Proverbs 9:10
EDDIE WAS DOING his homework on the computer when his dad came into his room.
“It’s almost time for dinner,” Dad said. He watched the computer screen for a few moments. “What are you doing?” he asked.
Eddie shrugged. “Math homework. I surfed the Web looking for data and specs on adding memory cards,” Eddie answered. “We’re supposed to come up with ways in which numbers are used in modern technology.”
Dad laughed. “I have no idea what you just said.” He paused. “You’ve been learning quite a bit about computers since you started hanging around with Jordan, haven’t you?”
Eddie spun in his chair and faced his dad. “Yeah, Dad, he’s really cool. It’s like, I can learn so much just by hanging out with him and talking to him. I feel like I didn’t know anything about computers until I got to know Jordan.” He snapped his fingers. “Now I feel like I know what I’m doing. It’s easy.”
Eddie didn’t take a class in binary code to become an adept computer user. He didn’t have to struggle through Computer Science 101. Those things might not have hurt, of course, but Eddie learned a lot about computers simply because his friend Jordan knew computers; by getting to know Jordan, Eddie got to know computers.
Knowing right from wrong and making right choices works in much the same way. Proverbs 9:10 says, “Fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. Knowledge of the Holy One results in understanding.” In other words, the key to knowing right from wrong is knowing God. If you know God, you know the one who is always right. If an attitude or action agrees with God’s Word, it’s right; if not, it’s wrong.
But if you don’t know God, you can’t know what he likes or what he doesn’t like. If you know him only by what others say about him or by what you read about him, you’ll have a very limited knowledge of what’s right or wrong. But if you know him personally-if you and he are close friends, if you talk to him every day, and if he talks to you through his Word-that knowledge will result in understanding. And the better you know him, the easier it will be to know and do the right thing.
REFLECT: If you want to get to know someone at school or church, how do you go about doing it? How did you first get to know your best friend? If you want to get to know God better, how would you do it?
PRAY: “God, I want to know you better, but I’ll need your help. Help me to pray and read my Bible every day and to learn more and more from you as I get to know you better.”
