MEMORISE: The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding. Proverbs 9:10
READ: Psalms 34:1 -11
1 (A Psalm of David, when he changed his behaviour before Abimelech; who drove him away, and he departed.) I will bless the LORD at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth.
2 My soul shall make her boast in the LORD: the humble shall hear thereof, and be glad
3 O magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt his name together.
4 I sought the LORD, and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears.
5 They looked unto him, and were lightened: and their faces were not ashamed.
6 This poor man cried, and the LORD heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles.
7 The angel of the LORD encampeth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them.
8 O taste and see that the LORD is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him.
9 O fear the LORD, ye his saints: for there is no want to them that fear him.
10 The young lions do lack, and suffer hunger: but they that seek the LORD shall not want any good thing.
11 Come, ye children, hearken unto me: I will teach you the fear of the LORD.
MESSAGE
Today’s memory verse clearly establishes the need to fear the Lord if we would be wise and gain an understanding of life. The Lord asks: “A son honoureth his father, and a servant his master: if then l be a father, where is mine honour?” (Malachi 1:6). How do we fear the Lord? Today’s Bible reading gives us ideas on how we fear the Most High God. One, we must magnify the Lord for who He is. It takes appreciation of God to fear Him. The Psalmist says:
O,Lord our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth! Who hast set thy glory above the heavens…When l consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained.
Psalm 8:1, 3
Secondly, we must put our total trust in Him. Lack of trust in God may cause us to disobey Him like Adam and Eve did. They repeated what God had told them but the serpent countered it, thereby calling God a liar. Genesis 3:4-5 says, “And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.” If Adam and Eve had had the fear of God in them, the devil would not have had his way in their lives. Here we can see that, indeed, the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom (Proverbs 9:10).
Joseph is a classic example of someone who demonstrated the fear of God. Due to his fear of the Lord, he refused to take advantage of the adulterous offer of his master’s wife. He refused to commit sexual immorality and told Potiphar’s wife:
There is none greater in this house than l; neither hath he kept back any thing from me but thee, because thou art his wife: how then can l do this great wickedness, and sin against God?
Genesis 39:9
Fear the Lord and keep His commandments. When you do, the type of blessing that later came upon Joseph (Genesis 41:14) will also be your portion.
PRAYER POINT
Father, please help me to fear You indeed and fill me with Your wisdom, in Jesus name.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Isaiah 38-40
AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A ADEBOYE
HYMN 1: ALL HAIL THE POWER OF JESUS’ NAME
1. All hail the power of Jesus’ Namel
Let angels prostrate fall;
Bring forth the royal diadem,
and crown Him Lord of all.
Bring forth the royal diader,
and crown Him Lord of all.
2. Let highborn seraphs tune the lyre,
and as they tune it, fall.
Before His face Who tunes their choir,
and crown Him Lord of all.
Before His face Who tunes their choir,
and crown Him Lord of all.
3. Crown Him, ye morning stars of light,
Who fixed this floating ball;
Now hail the strength of Israel’s might,
and crown Him Lord of all.
Now hail the strength of Israel’s might,
and crown Him Lord of all.
4. Crown Him, ye martyrs of your God,
who from His altar call;
Extol the Stem of Jesse’s Rod, and crown Him Lord of all.
Extol the Stem of Jesse’s Rod,
and crown Him Lord of all.
5. Ye seed of Israel’s chosen race,
ye ransomed from the fall,
Hail Him Who saves you by His grace,
and crown Him Lord of all.
Hail Him Who saves you by His grace,
and crown Him Lord of all.
6. Hail Him, ye heirs of David’s line,
Whom David Lord did call,
The God incarnate, Man divine,
and crown Him Lord of all,
The God incarnate, Man divine,
and crown Him Lord of all.
7. Sinners, whose love can ne’er forget
the wormwood and the gall,
Go spread your trophies at His feet, and crown Him Lord of all.
Go spread your trophies at His feet,
and crown Him Lord of all.
8. Let every tribe and every tongue
before Him prostrate fall
And shout in universal song
the crowned Lord of all.
And shout in universal song
the crowned Lord of all
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