Day 78 – The Value of Fearing the LORD
Proverbs 15:16 Better is a little with the fear of the Lord Than great treasure and turmoil with it.
Story: Poverty is not something to pursue, but the fear of the LORD is. While great wealth has great benefits, it also comes with great trouble. Part of the trouble is a tendency to pride and arrogance, which means one depends less on God.
Jesus put this proverb into story with the parable of the rich man and Lazarus (Luke 16:19-31). On earth, Lazarus had it rough – in poverty, begging, and ill health. But in death, he received the great rewards of God. The earthly life of the rich man seemed easy – all comforts and plenty. But the trouble comes after death, where he was in agony.
My Prayer Response: Father, am I content with You? Are my priorities in life what they should be? Fearing You is the better course of life, so give me an undivided heart. Thank You for my salvation! Thank You that I am now and forever Your child.
May you be content in the fear of the LORD today!
Day 79 – The Reward of Fearing the LORD
Proverbs 22:4 The reward of humility and the fear of the Lord Are riches, honor and life.
Story: I like immediate rewards – good action, good feeling, good rewards. My pride doesn’t like the fear of the LORD; that humility and submission doesn’t bring an immediate good feeling, nor an immediate good reward. But, good rewards are there, in this life and more yet to come. The return on this investment of fearing the LORD is very high … and very secure!
My Prayer Response: Father, Your ways and timing are not my own, which is just another area of my life where I must submit to You. Forgive me of my pride, of wanting life to go the way I want. Remind me that it’s not just about health, wealth, and good feelings now. It’s also my eternity in Your presence.
May you fear the LORD today in anticipation of His rewards!
Day 80 – The Fear of Man
Proverbs 29:25 The fear of man brings a snare, But he who trusts in the Lord will be exalted.
Story: The fear of man – which is one of my long time struggles – is a preoccupation of what other people say or may think about me. Which means it doesn’t even have to be real. I can imagine how others are responding to me and have this fear. It’s not healthy in the moment and later on sets up a snare or trap for me. How come I think I know people, even strangers, so well that I know what they privately say or think about me? But in contrast to the snare of the fear of man is the freedom and exaltation of trusting in the LORD. Do I want to live my life to please people? Or trust in Jesus and know for certain that He is well-pleased with me?
My Prayer Response: Father, I not only confess how often I fear man/people, but also how utterly foolish it is. It’s exceedingly selfish, putting myself, and not You, as the central focal point of life. Thank You for Your unfailing love for me, and Your forever approval of me in Jesus. Thank You for the growth over this struggle because of this fear journal. Let me be rid of this fear of man!
May you fear the LORD, not others, today!
Day 81 – Take Care, Be Calm, Do Not Fear
Isaiah 7:3-4 Then the Lord said to Isaiah, “Go out now to meet Ahaz, you and your son Shear-jashub, at the end of the conduit of the upper pool, on the highway to the fuller’s field, and say to him, ‘Take care and be calm, have no fear and do not be fainthearted because of these two stubs of smoldering firebrands, on account of the fierce anger of Rezin and Aram and the son of Remaliah.
Story: An attack is coming against Jerusalem from Rezin, king of Aram*, and Pekah, son of Remaliah, king of Israel. The two kings have already defeated much of Judah, killing 120,000 valiant men and the king’s son, plus carrying away 200,000 people of Judah as captives (see 2 Chronicles 28:5-8). So when the attack comes against Jerusalem, the courage of Ahaz and others “shakes as the trees of the forest shake before the wind” (Isaiah 7:2). But the LORD intervenes, sending Isaiah the prophet and his son (whose hard to pronounce name means ‘a remnant shall return’) to Ahaz. None of the plans of Aram and Israel against Jerusalem will happen; God will see to that! For Ahaz, he is to take care, be calm, and not fear. But a lesson is added at the end in v. 9, ‘If you are not firm in faith, you will not be firm at all.’
* Some Bible versions have this as Syria.
My Prayer Response: Father, all of my enemies, our enemies, Your enemies are totally under Your control. They can only succeed in any attack as You allow. You go to great extents to display Your power to Ahaz, inviting him to be firm in faith in You. When the attacks come, help me not to fear but to be firm in faith. To stand fast and firm. To remember that the battle – and the victory – belongs to the LORD.
May you take care, be calm, and not fear today!