Fountain Of Life
Today’s devotional is slightly longer than normal. The message has gripped my heart, and I invite you to lean in with me. If you are pressed for time, skip to the end, because there are some important questions I want you to ask yourself.
Proverbs 14:27 ESV says, “The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life, that one may turn away from the snares of death.” When we think about the fear of the Lord, I am guessing that it being a fountain of life might not be the first thing that comes to mind.
When we think of the fear of the Lord, we often associate it with rigidness, judgment, and the fear of condemnation.
I have heard some people say that the fear of the Lord does not actually mean to be afraid, and in a sense, I agree with this viewpoint. When we live under the covering of the Lord, we are not condemned or scared of God in a negative sense. Yet God is so powerful and almighty that fear is still an appropriate response. None of us would dare stand casually before God should he appear in all his glory.
Who Is Our God?
Verses like these confront our faith. They challenge us because they bring into question our position compared to God. When we have the fear of the Lord, we realize that he is the almighty God, and we are not.
So much of our corruption, division, brokenness, and grief stem from us thinking that we know better than God. We prefer to operate in religion or a culture that suits us best, but we get stuck defending our version of the truth without pursuing the fear of the Lord. This is a dangerous trap of deception.
When we pursue the fear of the Lord, everything we thought we had control over gets thrown out. The same goes for everything we held onto to keep our reputation up. We recognize that, despite what we think at the moment, God sets the standard.
When we behold God there is no confusion that he is majestic and we are frail.
And yet God is so good that he does not take advantage of his strength to oppress, but to lead us to life. He is the one who knows the truth and is uniquely holy and just to judge us according to our sinfulness, yet his desire for you is freedom, and he leverages the fear of the Lord to bring goodness and deliverance.
We have two choices when it comes to the fear of the Lord. We can pursue it today and receive the wisdom and life that follow, or we can ignore him and fearfully face him at the end of the age.
We can stand strong on what we think is right and how we think we ought to operate. We might get the applause of man, but without the fear of the Lord, it is only a vanishing moment.
An Important Message
Abiding Daily is such a special ministry in my heart. I love watching each of you engage with the word and receive revelation as God speaks to your heart. Yet ministries like this can drift toward the warm-fuzzy.
It can be tempting to leave out verses like this because it is more of a challenge than comfort, but it leads to life.
What if the verse was, “ _____________ is a fountain of life, that one may turn away from the snares of death.” What would we assume is in that blank space? Whatever fills that space has eternal implications.
We have to ask ourselves, what would I prefer to put in that space? What is holding me back from the fear of the Lord? Do I even want the fear of the Lord?
In many ways, the fear of the Lord is the hidden missing piece to a revival movement in our time. The fear of the Lord is something I am asking for today. Will you join me?
-
Abiding happens daily in his presence. Abiding Daily is a simple and practical reminder to stay connected to the vine. Each prompt is inspired by the scriptures and designed to point you toward prayer and encounter. You can follow us on Facebook and Instagram. To get the Daily Invitation sent to you every day click this link or text “Daily” to +1 (779) 237-3914.
-
Our first devotional book is available on our online store! Abiding Daily: Volume One is a devotional book including 120 prompts from the Daily Invitation. This book is designed to help believers connect with God through the word and discover more of what it means to abide in Christ. Click here to learn more.
