Bible Passage: “Now listen, you who say, ‘Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.’ Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, ‘If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.’ As it is, you boast in your arrogant schemes. All such boasting is evil.” (James 4:13-16 NIV)
Scripture Reading: Genesis 12:1-3; Genesis 21:1-7; Psalm 33:1-22
The Bible is quite clear:
All men must “fear the Lord.”
This week, we’ll look at why it is not only obedient for men to fear the Lord, but also logical and beneficial.
Psalm 33:8 says, “Let all the earth fear the Lord; let all the people of the world revere him.”
And then the rest of the Psalm goes on to explain plainly why this is so.
The Lord created everything. He foils the plans of the nations. He sees all mankind from above. He forms the hearts of all men. He can deliver from death. His love is unfailing.
It doesn’t take that much serious contemplation to realize that it is extremely foolish not to fear the Lord.
The greatest men in the Bible were not the ones who had it all together or accomplished the greatest deeds. No, the greatest men were those who learned to fear the Lord.
Consider Abraham:
God established a covenant with Abraham in which God would bless him and make him into a great nation, that he might be a blessing to the entire world (Genesis 12:2-3).
How could that be possible? How could a man born 4,000 years ago be a blessing to us today?
Well, one of Abraham’s offspring, born 2,000 years after him, was none other than Jesus Christ! And through Jesus, all people have the chance to be forgiven and to receive eternal life! All people could be blessed!
And God did not say to Abraham, “Go and bless the whole world.” Rather, He said, “Through you, I will bless the whole world.”
God made the covenant to Abraham when he was 75. Abraham was childless. How could his offspring bless the whole world if he didn’t even have one kid?
Abraham tried to make this future happen on his own. But this was doomed to failure; he could not create that future. God wanted Abraham to realize that his whole future came from the Lord.
Abraham finally had a child twenty-five years later! It was a miracle that only God could do. And Jesus did come two millennia later. God kept up His side of the covenant.
Men, a significant part of fearing the Lord is trusting Him completely with your future and understanding that it is He, not you, who is in charge of it.
Fear the Lord and rely utterly on Him.
Prayer: Dear Lord, you know my heart, my dreams, my impatience, my limited understanding. Thank You for Your mercy and kindness in forgiving me when I act as if I were the captain of my own destiny. You are the One who knows all things and can do all things. You have a plan for my life. Please, Jesus, help me to be still and wait patiently on You. I commit, not only the far future to You, but this day as well. Have Your way in me. Amen.
Reflection: What might the Lord Jesus be saying to you about your trust in Him for your future? Do you find that you are more likely to make plans without seeking Him first? Is there an area where you need to repent before the Lord today?
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