To obey the LORD is the fundamental principle for wise living;
Psalm 111:10 NET
all who carry out his precepts acquire good moral insight.
He will receive praise forever.
Most translations begin this verse with something like the NIV’s “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.” The word translated here as “fear” can be used in the same sense that we often use it—being afraid. But it also can be translated as reverence, which is what is intended here. To show reverence for the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.
How do we show reverence for the Lord? One way to show reverence is to obey. And that is how the NET chose to translate this expression. “To obey the Lord is the fundamental principle for wise living.”
At the heart of living wisely is obeying God—doing what he tells us to do. He knows us, knows what we are going through, knows what we can become, and will guide us to that. If we will obey him. While we may not face ruin when we go our own way, we will never reach our full potential apart from obedience.
Wisdom is not just about what you know. It is what you do with what you know. To know the Scriptures is good. To seek the truth is a worthy pursuit. But they are no substitute for obedience. Your “knowing” is not complete until it becomes “doing.”
And what is it that we are to obey? You might choose to follow some, or all, of the 613 commands in the Torah. Or some of your own making. However, it is better to follow the commands that Jesus said are at the heart of the law and the prophets (Matt. 22:37-40). To love the Lord our God with all we are. And to love our neighbor as ourselves.
I do not believe we would be amiss to say that the foundational principle of wise living is to love the Lord with our whole being and to love others within the family of God. No matter what else we do or become, without love, we are nothing (1 Cor. 13:2).
