Proverbs 1:7 declares, "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom," and thereby from wisdom we also get understanding and knowledge. In a broader sense, Wisdom is the application of how the "Born-again" experience is realized.
1.) When we realize who God is and the power of His might, the fear of the Lord is ignited and initiated within our heart.
2.) By seeking out the attributes of God through His Word or the witness of His people, the beginning of Wisdom (the fear of the Lord) turns into a desire for more Wisdom. In the search for more of who God is provides us with the confrontation that God is not only just, but also a loving God who desires our love and fellowship in return.
3.) When we yield our love and fellowship over to God by making Jesus the Lord of our lives, it opens up a new and greater understanding of who God is. That understanding of God in return, stimulates us to continue to seek for an even greater understanding of who God is and His love for us. As Proverb 9:10 points out, "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom and the knowledge of the Holy is understanding." Thus, understanding is gained through wisdom.
4.) Understanding of God then provides knowledge. When we have understanding of how something operates, we store that information into our database called the heart, and when a situation comes up concerning a specific situation, we recall our knowledge from the database that applies to that particular circumstance. So it is with understanding of God's Word. The more you study it, the more the Holy Spirit reveals to you and the more He reveals to you, the more you understand and therein knowledge is attained and retained.
Here we see how Wisdom, Knowledge and Understanding from the Book of Proverbs is activated in the "Born-again" experience as mentioned by Jesus in John 3:3, "Except a man be born again, he cannot see the Kingdom of God." Notice, you do not see the Kingdom of God by growing up into a church or by becoming a member of a church or merely stating that you are a Christian--you first must become "Born-again." We have other articles about becoming "Born-again" in this blog site.
In the above illustration, it must be mentioned that the secular mind cannot teach you the things of God, because they are foolishness to him as 1 Corinthians 2:14 clearly points out. When you seek out knowledge from a secular viewpoint, you are seeking knowledge from someone who has never received the wisdom, understanding and knowledge of who God is. In other words, the love of God has never permeated his heart because the world and the flesh remains embedded therein and not the Word and the Spirit. Without the fear of the Lord activating a desire to know who God is and knowledge of His Word, understanding cannot motivate the individual to become a "Born-again" believer in God's Kingdom. John 3:3, "Except a man be born again, he cannot see the Kingdom of God." You cannot see the wind, but you can fell it. Likewise, you cannot see the Spirit, but you can feel Him -- and it all begins by making Jesus Lord and believing in your heart that God raise that same Jesus from the dead. Yes, God has made it that simple for us
