WISDOM OF THE LORD by Waldo Malan 2007

Pro 9:10 The ear o !he LORD "# !he be$"nn"n$ o %"#do&' The (no%led$e o !he Holy One "# )nder#!and"n$' The FEAR of the Lord is the start. This is the beginning, the kick-off and the starting blocks. without this fear nothing can follow. When I lack wisdom and when I am sim le !".# - meaning easil$ led astra$ and wa"ering% it also means that I ha"e lost m$ fear. In this conte&t fear literall$ means re"erence. To ha"e re"erence for the Lord. Webster's defines re"erence as fear mingled with res ect and esteem, and states that (the fear acce table to )od, is a filial fear,

an awful re"erence of the di"ine nature, roceeding from a *ust esteem of his erfections, which roduces in us an inclination to his ser"ice and an unwillingness to offend him(. +$ )od, how I ha"e fallen short of this as ect, An unwillingness to offend, -ow
blatantl$ I ha"e offended .ou time and time again through m$ thoughts, words and actions, -ow utterl$ rebellious in m$ conduct. Pro *:7 W"#do& is !he +r"n,"+al !h"n$- therefore $e! %"#do&: and %"!h all !hy $e!!"n$ $e! )nder#!and"n$'

Again it is stated that wisdom is the main thing, and because of this I am to get wisdom. The fear of the Lord is therefore the rinci al thing. This means that there is nothing more im ortant in m$ life than to obtain, maintain and sustain the fear of the Lord in m$ life. To re"ere. To honour. To worshi . It nearl$ seems er"erse that there can be an$thing else that can take riorit$ in m$ life, It is, in fact, /uite disgusting that this 'wrongful rioritising' is real in m$ life. -ow often I am caught u in the e"er$da$ moments of work, offence, lust, leasure, famil$ and fun, at the detriment of the ' rinci al thing', ...and %"!h all !hy $e!!"n$ $e! )nder#!and"n$''' The (no%led$e o !he Holy One "#
)nder#!and"n$' -ow much do I reall$ know0 -ow intimate is this knowledge of )od0 It is athetic reall$, the abilit$ to sit and write stories and essa$s and e& ositions on )od and see how much I can del"e out intellectuall$ of who )od is, The more elo/uent I write, the more I think I know, The more I can delude m$self into belie"ing that this is what )od wants. 1ut true knowledge for )od is a heart matter and a s iritual connection. 2o amount of words will im ress )od. 2o thesis will stand u to the scrutin$ of -is e&amination of m$ heart. And now I ha"e to admit, )od will not find the knowledge !the understanding% that -e is looking for in m$ mind or in m$ heart when I ha"e alread$ lost the fear, re"erence and honour, )od, I am so des eratel$ in need of forgi"eness. .et I am so afraid to ask looking at the state of m$ heart. The darkness there is frightening. What do I ha"e to loose0, -el me,, Forgi"e me,, Let me walk out of this destructi"e tra of forgetting the rinci al thing. 2ot as a matter of law, Father, but as a matter of heart. The 3RI24I3AL thing must be from the heart, it cannot be intellectual, emotional of some h$sical e& ression, no, it has to be from the heart. From m$ s irit. I want that rinci al thing, I want to write that .ou are m$ onl$ desire. I want to confess that I will dwell in the house of m$ Lord fore"er. I want to know that the doorwa$ of .our resence far e&ceeds the o ulent halls of this world. I want to be free. I want to be free to ursue .ou with the abandon .ou designed in m$ s irit. I *ust want to be free. I want to be free from the tra of darkness in m$ mind, this en"elo ing cloud of destruction so art of me.