Do you ever wonder what it takes to please God? It couldn’t be clearer than in Proverbs. Ask God to give you a willing heart as you prepare to be counselled by him.
The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline (Proverbs 1:7)
There
is a well-known saying in Spanish: ‘Tell me who you walk with and I will tell
you who you are.’ Who you associate with reveals a lot about you.
It is interesting that fear of the Lord (vs 1–7) and choosing friends (vs
10–19) are the first two subjects in the book of Proverbs. As Solomon, through
the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, lays the foundation on how to live a
successful life, he gives two clear points of emphasis – wisdom through fear of
the Lord and foolishness through poor relationships (v 7).
Take time to check out Psalm 128:1, Psalm 112:1, Proverbs 8:13, Job 1:1 and 2
Corinthians 5:11a. In each passage, fear of the Lord has a direct correlation
to walking in his ways. Each is a direct rebuke of foolish, undisciplined
living.
Do you desire to be filled with wisdom and knowledge? Do you want to honour God
with your life and fear him with a holy fear? Then start by looking at your
influences. Who do you spend time with? Who influences you? Is it God, or is it
unhealthy friendships?