I couldn’t wait until I was sixteen years old…because on that day, I would officially become a licensed driver! The process started six months earlier. Driver’s Education— first in the classroom, then in the car. Next, I secured my “learner’s permit.” That certificate allowed me to drive with licensed drivers and scare them half to death. Then came “The Day.” I took the test in my parent’s 1969 Chevrolet Impala in the morning, and by the afternoon, I was “dragging the square” (I’ll explain that later). Pure freedom!  Not a lot of wisdom. Not a lot of discipline. Not a lot of fear . . . and that was a problem.

You see, to drive safely, you must have a healthy sense of “fear.” Not white-knuckle-gripping-the-steering-wheel “fear” but a solemn respect for the responsibility entrusted to you. Lives are at stake. Fools on the road ignore the rules of the road. And that is how it is with all of life. When you ignore life’s road rules, you will end up doing some foolish and dangerous things.

Our passage today reminds us that the beginning of true knowledge and understanding begins with a proper awe and reverence for God.

Proverbs 1:7
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction.

The Lord is not the “man upstairs.” He is not “the big guy in the sky.” He is the Creator of all things! It is in him we live and move and have our being (Acts 17:28). He oversees each breath we take (Psalm 104:29). Wouldn’t it make sense that the One who put us on life’s road would be the One to make the rules? True knowledge is not measured by the degrees on our wall or the title by our name. True knowledge is simply this: Living in awe of God and following his road rules. Ignoring wisdom and instruction? Let’s leave that to fools.

Father, the knowledge and shrewdness of the world will come and go. May we always honor you in a way that results in the blessing of true knowledge. In a world of fools may we never be counted in their number.
In Christ’s name.
Amen.