S – He said to mankind, “The fear of the Lord—that is wisdom. And to turn from evil is understanding.

 Job 28:28 CSB

O – Commentary:

God told man (’āḏām, “mankind”) that the essence of wisdom is to fear (“venerate and submit to”) the Lord, even when man cannot understand His ways, and to reject evil, living in accord with God’s standards of holiness. Honoring God (the positive) involves hating sin (the negative; Prov. 8:13). Job’s accusers had insisted that he was not fearing God or eschewing sin and that therefore he was not wise. In Job 28 he argued the opposite: he was fearing God and hating evil (as God Himself had already said of Job, 1:1, 8; 2:3), but they were not! Therefore wisdom and understanding were his, not theirs.

“Job,” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures

A – If we fear God, we will love what he loves and hate what he hates.  This is a fear of awe, respect and honor to God.  It draws us closer to Him.  Like Job, we do not move away from God in difficulties or challenges.  Instead, we push toward him even when we don’t see his presence.  That is where wisdom and understanding grows.

R – Heavenly Father, you are the one true, God.  In our desire for more of your presence, wisdom and understanding, give us the courage to move towards you.  Life’s challenges want us to run from you.  We choose today to run to you.  Meet us where we are at and help us to grow wiser, with greater understanding.