Tues.’s Devo - The Fear of the Lord

Read: Deuteronomy 5:1-6:25; Luke 7:11-35; Psalm 68:19-35; Provers 11:29-31 Moses continued giving them the last commandments. God had showed them his glory and his greatness. They had heard his voice out of the fire and lived. Now all they had to do was obey his commandment and they would be blessed and live a long life in the land he was giving them. *** The commands, statutes and judgments which God gave them were to be their laws that they lived by in the land. They were to fear God and his laws and teach them to their children that they might fear him also. It was God’s plan that they increase mightily in the land and be blessed. *** If they worshiped God as their only God and loved him with all their heart, soul and might, then they would teach his laws to their children. They would put his laws everywhere they looked and follow them closely. *** God promised to bring them into the land and give them cities and houses full of good things that they didn’t build. He promised to give them wells they didn’t dig and vineyard and olive trees that they didn’t plant. They were not to forget the Lord in the land of abundance, but fear him and serve him always. They were to cast out their enemies and not worship their gods but do what is right and good in the sight of the Lord. God had brought them out of Egypt, the land of bondage, to bring them in to the land of Canaan, the land of promise. *** Jesus came to the town of Nain just as a funeral was passing. The only son of a widow had died. Jesus felt compassion on the mother and touched the bier and the son came back to life. Fear of God fell on the people and they praised the Lord because he was visiting his people once again. *** John the Baptist heard of this and sent his disciples to ask Jesus if he was the one, or if they should look for another. Jesus told them to go tell John all they saw he was doing: the blind were seeing, the lame were healed, the lepers cleansed, the deaf heard and the dead were raised. The gospel was being preached to the poor. He added, “and blessed is he, who is not offended in me.” I think he added this last bit to those who didn’t like the vessel God had chosen to use. *** Jesus pointed out that John the Baptist had not been the socially accepted priest dressed in a white robe, but he had been a wild man out in the wilderness dressed in camel’s hair and a leather belt. But, he was the greatest prophet. *** The ones who had been baptized by John were justified but the Pharisees and lawyers rejected God’s chosen vessel and were not baptized by him. *** Jesus summed up their generation by saying that their children would prove their wisdom. John had come not drinking wine or eating bread and they said he had a devil and Jesus had come eating and drinking and they called him a sinner. *** God chooses who he wills to put his Spirit in, and it is usually one that offends our flesh to pull out all our faults. This is so obvious in President Trump. People either loved him or hated him with a vengeance. We need to stop and ask God what he thinks of President Trump. God is the one who raised him up and gave him a flesh like stone. God has empowered him to take all the ridicule and abuse that he has been given and not give up. *** We lift up President Trump and pray that You will refresh him and give him courage and strength to fight the war against evil in our world. May Your Spirit guide him, direct and protect him. May he be given all You have promised him and may our nation be saved to honor You. May we all walk in the fear of the Lord.