SCRIPTURE
Psalm 111:10
The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom;
all who follow his precepts have good understanding.
To him belongs eternal praise.

OBSERVATION
To have respect for the Lord is the starting place of wisdom. But it is not enough just to respect/fear, if you want a fullness of understanding you must follow His precepts. I know many people who are "God-fearing". They are good people and they tend to live good lives, but that is as far as their commitment to follow the Lord goes. There is something lacking, and it is the decision to put the Lord at the center of their lives.


APPLICATION
Sometimes we can forget to put the Lord at the center and we start to live "in the fear of the Lord" and we do the right things, but we haven't allowed His precepts — His ways — to inculcate themselves into our heart. Our lives are changed, but our hearts are not.

My desire is to walk in the fullness of wisdom — to fear the Lord AND to obey Him.

PRAYER
Lord, I have a tendency to get unbalanced in life. It seems so easy to emphasize one extreme over another, and so difficult to walk in balance. Before I know it, I end up somewhere I don't want to be. Help me to live a life that keeps you always right at the center. To keep my heart in tune with your commandments and to allow my behavior to flow out of that heart. Amen.