July 8, 2026 Wednesday Here is the verse from Proverbs 8:13 , followed by a breakdown of what it means and why it matters. "The fear of the Lord is to hate evil: pride, and arrogancy, and the witty way, and the froward mouth, do I hate. - Proverbs 8:13 (KJV) (Note: "froward" is an old English word meaning perverse, disobedient, or willfully contrary.) Insight; Proverbs 8 is a beautiful chapter where Wisdom is personified as a person speaking directly to us. In this specific verse, Wisdom defines what it actually means to respect and honor God, and lists the specific traits that destroy wisdom. Here are the three core takeaways: 1. "The fear of the Lord is to hate evil" In the Bible, the "fear of the Lord" doesn't mean cowering in terror of a tyrant. It means a profound, healthy respect and awe for God's holiness. Wisdom tells us that if you truly respect God, you cannot be neutral about evil—you have to actively dislike it. You can't love the light while flirting with the dark. 2. The Anatomy of Pride Notice the specific list of things Wisdom says, "do I hate": Pride & Arrogancy: This is the root of almost all bad behavior. It’s the attitude that says, "I don't need God, and I am better than the people around me." The Evil Way: Living a lifestyle that intentionally causes harm or breaks moral boundaries. The Froward Mouth: Speaking with deceit, manipulation, harshness, or constant negativity. 3. Why Pride and Wisdom Can't Coexist The big picture here is that pride makes you unteachable. If you think you already know everything, or that you are above the rules, you cannot receive wisdom. Wisdom requires humility. By stating what it hates, Wisdom is showing us exactly what we need to clear out of our lives if we want to grow wiser.