Fear of God

It has been said that what a person did yesterday, he will tend to do tomorrow. Each choice we make will set our habits and behaviors for the future. A true measure of character is who we are when we're alone. The proverbs are an extremely rich source for what it means to live uprightly before God. And the blessings that proceed from living uprightly. Living upright can be summed up in this verse from Proverbs 14:2 "He that walketh in his uprightness feareth the LORD: but he that is perverse in his ways despiseth him." It is to ultimately Obey God out of Respect for who He is and what He has said. Rather than acting out of the fear of man we ought to let God's opinion motivate us to do what is right. Ephesians 6:6-7, "Not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but as the servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart; With good will doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men:"

The Blessings

Pr 10:9 He that walketh uprightly walketh surely: but he that perverteth his ways shall be known.

Pr 11:3 The integrity of the upright shall guide them: but the perverseness of transgressors shall destroy them.

Pr 28:20 A faithful man shall abound with blessings

Ac 6:3 Wherefore, brethren, look ye out among you seven men of honest report, full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom, whom

1Ti 3:10 And let these also first be proved; then let them use the office of a deacon, being found blameless.

2Ti 2:2 And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also.

The legacy

Pr 20:7 The just man walketh in his integrity: his children are blessed after him.

In summation, we aught to make our choices based upon what God thinks not upon the thoughts of our peers or acquaintances. And if we choose to obey God He will bless us with many blessings. And not only that but our blessings will overflow to our children and grandchildren.

Ps 68:3 ~ "But let the righteous be glad; Let them rejoice before God; Yes, let them rejoice exceedingly."
Jas 1:2 ~ "My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials,"
1 Jo 1:4 ~ "And these things we write to you that your joy may be full."

As Christians we should be filled with more joy than any other people group. For we alone are partakers in the glorious salvation of the Lord Jesus Christ. Above are a few verses that explain why we should be joyful, and in whom and what we should be joyful. In psalms we are encouraged to be filled with joy for God is our defender. He melts our enemies like wax and we should be joyful in this protection. In James we are to take joy for our trials are producing patience and is perfecting our character. There are so many reasons that we should be joyful. For God's blessings, provision, direction, commands, laws, statutes, holiness, suffering, righteousness, etc. etc. And most importantly for Christ's ultimate salvation for us.

Application
1. Pray that God would fill you with a deeper joy rooted in Him.
2. Even in hard times consider how God is growing and perfecting you.
3. Encourage others and share your joy.

Ps 27:1-3 ~ The LORD is my light and my salvation; Whom shall I fear? The LORD is the strength of my life; Of whom shall I be afraid? When the wicked came against me To eat up my flesh, My enemies and foes, They stumbled and fell.Though an army may encamp against me, My heart shall not fear; Though war may rise against me, In this I will be confident.
Ps 118:6 ~ The LORD is on my side; I will not fear. What can man do to me?
Pr 29:25 ~ The fear of man brings a snare, But whoever trusts in the LORD shall be safe.
Je 1:7-8 ~ But the LORD said to me: "Do not say, "I am a youth,' For you shall go to all to whom I send you, And whatever I command you, you shall speak. Do not be afraid of their faces, For I am with you to deliver you," says the LORD.
2 Ti 1:7 ~ For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.
Php 3:3 ~ For we are the circumcision, who worship God in the Spirit, rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh,

God has commanded us to be courageous men and women of God. Often times, however, we live in fear. Fear of what people may think, what people may do, what we could mess up, and what we can't do. But the Bible reminds us that we should not fear what man can do for the fear of man brings a snare. We should not fear what we can't do even in our youth because God will deliver us. Our confidence is in Christ Jesus. If we live in the fear of the Lord God will be our strength and salvation. For He alone has given us a spirit of power, love and a sound mind. Let us therefor remember God is in control and we have nothing to fear.

Application
1. Pray for God to remove any spirit of fear.
2. Put your confidence in God alone. Stop trusting in what you can or can't do.
3. Avoid worrying about what others think or do.

Proverbs 16:32 ~ He who is slow to anger is better than the mighty, And he who rules his spirit than he who takes a city.
Titus 1:6-7 ~ if a man is blameless, the husband of one wife, having faithful children not accused of dissipation or insubordination. For a bishop must be blameless, as a steward of God, not self-willed, not quick-tempered, not given to wine, not violent, not greedy for money,
James 1:19 ~ So then, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath; for the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God.

Self Control is a must have character quality. It is to be valued more than strength or being able to conquer. It is necessary for anyone who wants to seek a position of leadership and it is commanded by God. Today this quality is not exercised very often. But it is probably one of the greatest qualities one can seek. Without being able to control the will we are bound to stumble more frequently, dive into sin much deeper, and neglect communion with God often. We must conquer the will so that when we seek other character qualities we can control our hearts and channel them towards Godliness.

Application
1. Pray that God would give you self control in every aspect of your life.
2. Before temptation comes resolve to obey God.
3. Each day begin in communion with God and commit every action to Godliness.

Proverbs 12:11 ~ He who tills his land will be satisfied with bread, But he who follows frivolity is devoid of understanding.
Proverbs 27:23-27 ~ Be diligent to know the state of your flocks, And attend to your herds; For riches are not forever, Nor does a crown endure to all generations. When the hay is removed, and the tender grass shows itself, And the herbs of the mountains are gathered in, The lambs will provide your clothing, And the goats the price of a field; You shall have enough goats' milk for your food, For the food of your household, And the nourishment of your maidservants.
Genesis 2:15 ~ Then the LORD God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to tend and keep it.

In these few passages we can see just how important it is to be diligent in the work place. There are hundreds of verses that praise diligence, hard work, and avoiding laziness. In both of the proverbs we can see how beneficial hard work can be. If you maintain diligence you will be satisfied with bread, you shall have food and nourishment for everyone in your house and even for those who work around or under you. Not only is this virtue beneficial to the one who learns it but it is also commanded by God. We can see that work was not a result of the fall but it was a mandate God gave in His perfect world. He put Adam in the garden to tend and keep it. Part of the fulfillment of chapter 1 verse 28 where God commands man to subdue the earth.

Application
1. Pray that God would give you a diligent attitude
2. Avoid excessive sleep and moments of laziness
3. Dedicate your energies to being diligent each morning

Proverbs 12:19 ~ The truthful lip shall be established forever. But a lying tongue is but for a moment.

It has been said that there is different levels of lying. And it may be true that some lies are in fact more dangerous than others but we must remember that none of them is acceptable in the sight of the Lord not even "white lies."

We must, as Christian seek to always follow Gods commandments. God standard, the law, has not passed and we are still held accountable for our actions. And we will give an account for every word, honest or dishonest, that passed from our lips.

Application
1. Pray that God would teach you to be honest in all things.
2. Be slow to speak, thinking about every word you say.
3. Search out the truth of every matter.

Proverbs 12:10 ~A righteous man regards the life of his animal. But the Tender mercies of the wicked are cruel.~

If a righteous man is compassionate to his animals, how much more should we be compassionate to those around us. In Luke 10:25-37 Jesus shares with us an example of compassion. In this short parable a man is mugged and left to die. A priest and then a Levi pass by. Fortunately a Samaritan is compassionate enough to not only help the man to the nearest city, but to also care for all of his needs. This is in sharp contrast to the Priest and Levite who were either too busy, too proud, or just hard hearted. We aught to follow the samaritans example not just because it is a good thing too do. But because Jesus commanded it in v. 37.

Application
1. Pray specifically for God to fill you with compassion
2. Keep your eyes open for every opportunity you have to be a good samaritan.
3. Don't make excuses to avoid helping others.