33The fear of the LORD teaches a man wisdom, and humility comes before honor.
The order is fear, wisdom, humility, and honor. We begin with a recognition of who the LORD is, the Creator and Sustainer of the universe. He is unique and all-powerful. He is the only God that exists. There are many gods, but only one God. And he can and will bring judgment. This fear has these two sides, a reverence for who He is and a healthy dose of fear of judgment. This then opens us up to His wisdom. As we begin to walk and listen to His Word, we gain wisdom, that ability to weigh out options and know which one will be the best in a given situation. We might call it spiritual “situational awareness.” We learn that we are very small and insignificant in the grand scheme of things, and yet He invests His best in us. We are humble by our low position and yet honored with His presence. We can’t get to the honor until we fully fear.
The Arnold Journey 