Daily Devotions – Learning to Fear

Daily Devotions – Learning to Fear

 

 

Click this link to hear an audio version of the below text narrated by SOTH member Jerry Rhinehart:

 

Psalm 34:11-22

“Come, my children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the LORD. Whoever of you loves life and desires to see many good days, keep your tongue from evil and your lips from telling lies. Turn from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it. The eyes of the LORD are on the righteous, and his ears are attentive to their cry; but the face of the LORD is against those who do evil, to blot out their name from the earth. The righteous cry out, and the LORD hears them; he delivers them from all their troubles. The LORD is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit. The righteous person may have many troubles, but the LORD delivers him from them all; he protects all his bones, not one of them will be broken. Evil will slay the wicked; the foes of the righteous will be condemned. The LORD will rescue his servants; no one who takes refuge in him will be condemned.”

 

The second half of David’s Psalm points directly to Jesus (John 19:36 quotes Psalm 34:20). God is promising protection, but not saying we will never die because, after all, David died. God’s promise is for a resurrection like Jesus! That promise is for all people, yet “the face of the Lord is against those who do evil”. Our world celebrates the beautiful, glamorous, wealthy, powerful, successful, athletic and elite. But while the world fears those people God’s chosen king, David, was thought to be crazy and God’s own Son, Jesus, was born in a barn. What do you fear and value? How do you expect God to give salvation? We learn to fear the Lord when we focus on the cross of Jesus that saves now and forever.