JULY 14 READINGS...Psalm 128-130 & 132 & 134-135
I love the thought expressed in Psalm 130:5, “I am counting on the Lord; yes, I am counting on him. I have put my hope in his word.” I hope each of us want to be people who completely trust in the Lord. He is more than reliable, so we can count on Him for everything. His Word is true so we can put our hope in His Word. In our biblical faith our hope is not like the hope the world knows. In the world they hope something will happen…they have no assurance of that which they hope for…it is just a shot in the dark. In biblical faith, hope is different…for us, hope is the calm assurance that everything that God has promised, He is both capable of doing it, and He will do it. The world has no security, because their hope offers them nothing but an empty gamble that they might receive what they hope for. We Christians have security, because our hope is not based in a possibility…but in a certainty. So, we like the psalmist can say…Lord we are counting in you, knowing that Your Word is true, trustworthy, and it will do everything you promised.
The psalmist also talks about biblical fear in his writings. Once again in the world fear paralyzes…that is why the enemy of our souls uses fear to manipulate and control the masses. In the Bible the fear of the Lord does not work that way…as we have a holy fear of God, our lives actually begin to produce the things we need as those created by the Lord. The psalmist tells us that the fear of the Lord brings joy in our lives. He goes on to tell us that true prosperity is found as we live our lives in the fear of the Lord. It is in this proper relationship and relating to God that we will live in the fullness of the Lord’s blessings. It is in the fear of the Lord that we will know the peace of God. The Lord He is God…we are not God…understanding this truth and relating to the Lord based on that understanding, brings everything we need to live the fullness of life that the Lord has for us.
Please share your thoughts from today’s readings. Walk in both the hope of God…and the fear of the Lord. Put your complete trust in God in all things, all the time!
TOMORROW’S READINGS…Psalm 136 & 146-150