Wisdom is the right application of knowledge.

Prov. 1:7 Fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge. Only fools despise wisdom and discipline.

Wisdom is the right application of knowledge. Knowledge is more than remembering information; it is understanding what we remember. Knowledge is obtained by first learning to fear the Lord. If we do not respect who the Lord, revere Him, or respond to Him as our God, we will never really know what the Lord wants us to know. Life changing knowledge is rooted in a personal relationship with Christ.

Wisdom is understanding that we need to come underneath God’s discipline from time to time. It is not a pleasant experience, but necessary for our maturity in faith.

Only fools despise wisdom and discipline. To despise is to hate. Fools hate to know what God demands of us. They hate to be told what to do. They hate to have to change their ways to conform to God’s ways. They hate anything to do with a God who takes a personal interest in our lives.

Fools despise God’s loving care who sometimes has to take us to the woodshed because we do wrong. They want a God who loves us always and never interferes with us when we don’t return his love in obedience. Fools hate to bow before God. They want instead to live as if they themselves were God.

May we be a people who fear the Lord. May we become a people who have great knowledge, who seek to know the ways of the Lord and live by them.