May I continue to encourage you to read through the "One Year Bible" and pray through the book "Operation World" in 2011.
Today's readings:
Genesis 18:16-19:38; Matthew 6:25-7:14; Psalm 8:1-9; Proverbs 2:6-15
What strikes me as we read today’s passages from the One Year Bible in both the Old and New Testaments is the need for a healthy fear of the Lord.
Solomon said it in the Book of Proverbs: “ The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge; Fools despise wisdom and instruction.” (Proverbs 1:7; 3:14; 5:7; 7:18; 8:12-13).
We are to respect the Lord above all else. If you come across downed power lines you do not run up to them and play with them as if they were a ball of string or carry them like extension cords. Those electric lines are alive with life-threatening power. Those power lines that provided so much good to the neighborhood, serving all the homes with needed electricity to provide heat and utilities for our well-being, become life-threatening if they are encountered carelessly or treated casually.
The fear of the Lord is an attitude of reverence and awe that people show Him because of His authority and greatness. His power is to be respected. The person who fears the Lord will inquire to find out His mind, hear His Word and obey it.
When Lot told of what God was going to do to the city of Sodom, Lot’s son-in-laws ridiculed him. Perhaps Lot never shared his faith with them before this last crucial minute?
There is a danger in taking the Lord, and His Word, too lightly.
As we read today’s passages we realize the greatness of human sin and the legitimacy of God’s judgment upon it. But we see God’s mercy as He continually offers a way of escape to those who are rightly related to Him through faith.
The Sermon on the Mount ends with an invitation to escape destruction by heeding His Word and coming to Him on His terms and not our own. We cannot play games with God.
Matthew 7:13-15 (NASB)
13 "Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. 14 "For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it.”
There are many helpful tools to encourage you as you read through the Bible. You can access the Scriptures on your cell phone, and you can even enjoy other people’s insights on blogs such as the http://www.oneyearbibleblog.com/
But the important thing is to read it. Read it, see Christ and worship. Read it, see God’s redemptive work in history and understand it. Read it for personal application and transformation. Read it, grow in a healthy fear of the Lord, and get wisdom! Believe God and enter into life in Jesus’ Name.
Pastor David
P.S. This weekend: Pray for the Unfinished Task - Religious Systems (p. 21-22 in “Operation World”)
