“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight.” ~ Proverbs 9:10 ESV
What Proverbs 9:10 Means
This is one of my favorite proverbs because it shifts my perspective back to where it belongs – on God and not myself!
Proverbs 9:10 was written by Solomon during the ninth century BC. This specific Proverb exhorts us to seek God before other things.
Knowing God is the doorway to wisdom and insight.
Wisdom and insight are desirable traits that we all need to live life well. This verse reminds us that being smart or knowing a lot of things is not the same as being wise.
While learning is of course a wonderful thing, it should come from a foundation of knowing God and wisely spending the time He’s given us on this earth.
I want to pass on a love of learning to my children, starting with God and branching out into everything else in the universe!
If our children know God, they have the ultimate guide to making good choices throughout their lives.
How Proverbs 9:10 Applies in Motherhood
As mothers, we are responsible for teaching our children so many things!
First we watch in wonder as they learn how to smile and crawl. We cheer on their first steps and their first words. As they grow, we teach them their colors and number and shapes.
We teach our children how to interact with the world and people around them, how to tie their shoes and tell time and count to one hundred. Later on, we teach them how to drive and navigate relationships and become an adult.
To be a mother is to be a teacher, whether you feel qualified or not!
As I hit each new milestone with my own children, I’m overwhelmed again by the responsibility of motherhood. Awestruck by the glorious weight of it and terrified by all the ways I can mess it up.
By all the ways I do mess it up.
Proverbs 9:10 is a beautiful reminder to me that even though I will fail as I teach my children, God is big enough to correct those failures and cover them with grace. He will be faithful to give wisdom to both me and my children despite and even through all our mistakes.
How do we fear the Lord and gain knowledge of the Holy One? We do it by reading the Bible and growing a relationship with God through prayer.
It’s an amazing thing to see how your whole world can open up in new perspectives when your mind is focused on Jesus!
Closing Prayer
Father, thank you for giving us wisdom and insight as we seek to know and love you more! Thank you for always showing us more of yourself and this beautiful world you created.
Help us to lead our children to you. Only you can reach their hearts and save their souls, Jesus, and we pray that you would do that.
Give our children a burning love for you that would lead them ever deeper into relationship with you and knowledge of Your ways. Guide their steps and give them wisdom and insight as they begin the lives you have planned for them.
Please help us as mothers to walk daily in your strength and love, relying on you for the wisdom we need in every moment. May we reject sinful indulgences and have the insight from you to raise and love our children well.
We pray these things in Jesus’ Holy Name, Amen.
Find more Wisdom in Proverbs for Moms devotions here.
Guest Blogger Bio
Hi, I’m Lieren! I’m a Jesus-loving girl living my childhood dream as wife to my best friend and full time mommy to our three children. I have a passion for helping women delight in the days they have with their little ones! I blog at Motherhood Beyond Survival, where I share practical advice offer encouragement and create a community to help you move beyond surviving motherhood to truly thriving in it. I’m not an expert; I’m a mother on the journey with you! My favorite things include getting lost in a good book, singing in the car, spontaneous adventures, and anything chocolate. Let’s connect, follow me on Facebook.