Thursday January 11th, 2024
« The LORD will bless you if you respect Him and obey His laws »
1 Blessed is every one who fears the Lord, who walks in His ways.
2 When you eat the labor of your hands, you shall be happy, and it shall be well with you.
3 Your wife shall be like a fruitful vine in the very heart of your house, your children like olive plants all around your table.
4 Behold, thus shall the man be blessed who fears the Lord.
5 The Lord bless you out of Zion, and may you see the good of Jerusalem all the days of your life.
6 Yes, may you see your children’s children. Peace be upon Israel!
The lack of the fear of the Lord has brought untold hardship to many people since the fall of man.
However, those who have exercised the fear of the Lord in the past have fulfilled their destinies.
Thus, every wise person must exhibit the fear of the Lord.
Joseph could have had his destiny cut short had he succumbed to the temptation of sexual immorality- an age- old sin.
You would recall that God destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah because of this.
Reuben also was cursed because of his sexual immorality with his father’s wife (Genesis 49:4).
Despite how inviting the temptation was, Joseph feared the Lord and refused to take up the offer of sleeping with Potiphar’s wife. With fear and trembling, he declined in Genesis 39:9 GNT thus
« I have as much authority in this house as he has, and he has not kept back anything from me except you. How then could I do such an immoral thing and sin against God?” »
You may be wondering how Joseph knew that sleeping with another man’s wife is a sin against her husband and God, considering the fact that the commandment to refrain from adultery was given much later in Exodus 20:14.
The truth is that God has written His laws on the heart of man (Hebrews 8:10, Romans 2:14-15.
This is what puts His fear in us if we have not been given over to reprobate minds as seen in Romans 1:28.
Joseph prospered because he feared the Lord.
Do you fear the Lord?
Do you question the spiritual authority of your Pastor?
Do you still hide under the clock of a ‘clear conscience’ even as you engage in sexual immorality ?
Today’s memory verse says
« Blessed is everyone who is in awe of LORD JEHOVAH and walks in His steps! »
The practical way of showing that you fear (have the utmost respect) the Lord is by trembling at His word. Isaiah 66:2 CSB says
« My hand made all these things, and so they all came into being. This is the LORD’s declaration. I will look favorably on (esteem) this kind of person: one who is humble, submissive in spirit, and trembles at my word. »
I encourage you today to fear the Lord and abstain from all evil.
As you do, God Himself will prosper you in all your ways, in the mighty name of Jesus.
Prayer focus – Father, please instill Your fear in me and prosper me the way only You can, in Jesus’ name.
Author – Bishop Enoch. A. Adeboye.
Edited by Naomie
Freely you received, freely you must give (Math 10:8) , kindly share this devotion, and the Lord will bless you for it .
Spread the love of Christ by clicking on the ♥
Copingwords@gmail.com
