This is the day the Lord has made and we get to worship, study His Word, be part of His Body, fellowship and eat! We are an Acts 2:42 church! PTL! May God lead you in worship and study and His Spirit guide your day! He loves you, is calling you by name and has great plans for you! Rejoice and be glad as you step into His love, wisdom and help today! It is well with my soul! How about you? Prepare your hearts to worship! Be still and know Him and the wonder of His love! Then celebrate! Amen!
Enter His courts with Thanksgiving today!
Check out these devos as you prepare your hearts to worship!
ODB: Read Proverbs 2:1-11. Seek wisdom! Keep God in first place! He is God! You are not!
Reverent Fear
If you look for [wisdom] as for silver . . . then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God. Proverbs 2:4-5
READ Proverbs 2:1-11
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Jeremy writes, “I know quite a bit about the fear of dying. Seven years ago . . . I felt intense, sickening, dizzying, overwhelming fear when I was told I had incurable cancer.” But he learned to manage his fear by leaning on the presence of God and moving from his fear of death to embracing a reverent fear of Him. To Jeremy, this means being in awe of the Maker of the universe who will “swallow up death” (Isaiah 25:8) while also understanding deep within that God knows and loves him.
The fear of the Lord—a deep respect and awe for our holy God—is a theme that runs throughout Scripture. King Solomon admonished his son to fear the Lord in his series of wise sayings, the Proverbs. He said that if his son would turn his “ear to wisdom” and “search for it as for hidden treasure,” then he’d “understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God” (Proverbs 2:2, 4-5). Along with wisdom and knowledge, he’d find discretion and understanding (vv. 10-11).
When we face challenges of many kinds and experience a sense of dread and fear, we’re reminded of our limitations. But as we turn to God, asking Him to help us humble ourselves before Him and worship Him in reverence, we’ll find He helps us to move from being fearful to embracing a healthy fear of Him.
By Amy Boucher Pye
REFLECT & PRAY
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How important is “the fear of the Lord” to you? How could you humble yourself before Him today?
Creator Father, You made the heavens and the earth and yet You know and love me. Please help me to serve and honor You all the days of my life.
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SCRIPTURE INSIGHT
The book of Proverbs is often misunderstood to be a book of promises. In reality, however, it’s a book that shows how life works best when lived according to the wisdom of God. In chapters 1-9, King Solomon, the wisest man who ever lived (1 Kings 3:12), offers wisdom to his son on a variety of issues including moral purity. Because Solomon’s life story revealed his own struggles in this area, some scholars have wondered if Solomon wrote these words earlier in his life—in anticipation of children that would come later. Other scholars believe Solomon offered this insight very late in life, with his own moral failings as a backdrop to the accuracy of that wisdom. Either way, it’s clear that despite his great God-given wisdom, Solomon struggled at times to apply that wisdom to his own life
Bill Crowder |
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UR: Unfamiliar Paths
Please lead me in your righteousness. Make your way clear, right in front of me. - Psalm 5:8 (CEB)
One morning I caught a ride before sunrise. As I rode in the back of the pickup truck, I could see hundreds of stars in the black sky, including familiar constellations. However, when I looked at the road ahead, illuminated by headlights, it didn’t seem familiar at all. The barbed wire fence, trees, and brush along the one-lane dirt road didn’t look as I remembered. That surprised me since I have walked every inch of that mile-and-a-half stretch of road many, many times over the years. I was disoriented. Even so, I knew I would arrive at my destination soon.
As we continued, I thought about how sometimes life is like that. It can feel like we are traveling along unfamiliar paths. Yet signs of God’s presence are all around us like shining stars if we only look — in scripture, in nature, and in people. If we trust in God to guide us, we will receive just enough light to continue on until we reach our destination. We can trust that God will be with us as we journey and will lead us in the way we ought to go.
Today's Prayer
Dear Lord, help us to trust you to guide us. When our way seems unclear, turn us toward the signs of your presence. Amen.Sarah Young:
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