Psalm 111:10 – “To obey the Lord is the fundamental principle for wise living; all who carry out his precepts acquire good moral insight. 
He will receive praise forever.”

As I read, prayed, and meditated on the Word of God today, two thoughts gripped my heart: obedience and the Fear of the Lord.  I know the modern message is not to fear God because God is love, grace, and mercy.   HE IS!

However, without the reverential awe of the Living Sovereign God, we tend to ignore His precepts and commands, allowing self to surface as the center of our lives.

Sin should shock us and produce a holy anger in our hearts.   We should be crushed when we violate God’s laws because we are breaking His heart and disrespecting the sacrifice of Jesus.   Tolerating sin in the family of God (church) opens the door for deception, disease, demons, and destruction.

Jesus conquered the devil, and if we do not have a healthy awe of God and a reverential fear of Him, we will wink at sin.  That produces a condition where what once made us cringe has no impact.  Words, deeds, and visuals that once made us feel dirty and polluted are now ignored.  Why?  We seem to have replaced the fear of God with an attitude of tolerance.

When Israel sinned and co-mingled (in immoral behavior) with the surrounding nations, God sent a plague, which stopped only when Phinehas acted.  The fear of God produces a desire and willingness to obey God.

We develop attitudes and actions that are entirely different from the heart of Jesus, and excuse them.  God does not say, “Well, they are only human!”   No!   It is Christ in us, living through us and transforming us, that is our gift and our goal.

Psalm 111:10 is a powerful verse we need to read and heed. “To Obey the LORD is THE fundamental principle of wise living; ALL who carry out His precepts acquire good moral insight. He will receive praise forever.”

As I consider the life of Jesus on Earth, I see it was one of purity, complete obedience, and action.  He demonstrated a life of total surrender.  Actions have a greater impact than words.   I long for more of God’s demonstrated power than the ability to orate and preach.  If we allow anything of the flesh to flourish in us, we limit the flow of power.  Power without purity produces pride and creates idols of the heart and mind.

We must never be judgmental, but we must seek purity. Psalm 106:3 – “How blessed are those who promote justice and do what is right ALL THE TIME.”

My cry is, “LORD, help me never to lose the deep reverential fear and awe of You. It will guide, guard, and keep me on the narrow path. It will cause me to be crushed by any sin in me and compel me to the altar of repentance. It will enable me to know You intimately and follow You wholeheartedly.”

The Fear of God and Explicit Obedience are needed and required!

Have a Great Day in Jesus!