Start With God

Why the Fear of the Lord Is the First Step Toward Real Wisdom

I’m not gonna lie—this Bible verse mapping thing is becoming more than just a habit. It’s turning into a journey that keeps pulling me deeper. The next verse that grabbed me is Proverbs 1:7, and man… it hits hard.

ESV: “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction.”
NLT: “Fear of the Lord is the foundation of true knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline.”
The Message: “Start with God—the first step in learning is bowing down to God; only fools thumb their noses at such wisdom and learning.”

Let’s just stop there for a second. All three translations say the same thing in slightly different ways: you want knowledge? You want wisdom? Start with God. Not yourself. Not YouTube. Not your gut. God.

Two words stood out to me right away: fear and knowledge. So I cracked open the Thompson Chain Reference Bible and started pulling the threads.