Life is not suppose to stay the same. We are every growing into the persons we are. Always learning new things about life, ourselves and hopefully God. I believe I blogged a while back about Fearing The Lord. I was questioning whether or not I had an appropriate fear of Him. In my day to day life, there are SO MANY things I need to do different, for myself and for those around me. Those are the ones that I find hard to keep on my mind, therefore even harder to change. However, the BIG picture is the one I see very clearly and am determined to "get it right". This month I decided to start daily reading Proverbs. It's been a little over a week and I missed a few days but I caught up!! YAY! I'm also keeping a prayer journal along with journaling the things that particularly stick out to me in my time in the Word.
Life has, as usual, been changing and I have been talking with my mom about it a lot. She's such a Godly woman. I wish I had half the determination she has to overcome. She's strong and wise and not a lazy person. She is confident that the Lord will take care of her and I am often in awe of how she keeps it all together. I strive to be like her - She is a Proverbs 31 WOMAN, and that makes her a Proverbs 31 WIFE.
In our conversation one day I was emotionally throwing up all of my stress onto her and stating how I felt led to make a particular offering at church and I have heard all of these sermons on the law of reciprocity and while I would LOVE for the Lord to bless the offering, I do NOT agree that if you give Him money, He will make you "rich". I want His blessing and Him to meet my need as a response to my obedience. But I was agonizing that "I just don't want my desire for blessings to be mistaken by Him as greed.".... Mom said, "Do you think God knows you are agonizing over this?" ... "yes."... "Do you think He knows your heart?"... "yes."... "do you know that He says to test Him in this area and he Promises to prove Himself?"... "no." She showed me the scripture and said "do you think if God makes a promise, He would Expect that WE would Expect Him to keep it?"... "yes"... We should have expectations of God! Not only did I realize that, but also realized if He knows me inside and out, He knows how much I agonize over making the right choices, not making the wrong ones, and pleasing Him. That IS an appropriate fear of Him. I know the reprimand I will receive if I make bad choices and I do not feel responsible to anyone except Him.
Simple, I know. But I've always expected Him to have expectations of me, while I hoped He would see me through life situations and believed that He would in His way - I didn't "Expect" it of him, because I didn't think I was deserving. It seemed proud and arrogant of me to do so. I know I love Him. I know I believe in Him and every single word of the Bible. I'm saved by grace through His son. I'm in relationship with Him. With any earthly relationship, we have expectations. Why on earth would I not EXPECT Him to do what His word says He will do??
I say all of that to say that I my eyes have been opened to so many promises that He made in the Bible. Proverbs is full of good promises to those who Love and Fear Him and promises of punishment to those who don't. I believe there are 18 places in Provers that speak about it....
Proverbs 2:1-6
1 My son, if you accept my words
and store up my commands within you,
2 turning your ear to wisdom
and applying your heart to understanding—
3 indeed, if you call out for insight
and cry aloud for understanding,
4 and if you look for it as for silver
and search for it as for hidden treasure,
5 then you will understand the fear of the LORD
and find the knowledge of God.
6 For the LORD gives wisdom;
from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.
Proverbs 9:10
The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge ofthe Holy One is understanding.
Proverbs 14:26
Whoever fears the LORD has a secure fortress, and for their children it will be a refuge
Proverbs 16:6
Through love and faithfulness sin is atoned for; through the fear of theLORD evil is avoided.
FEAR OF THE LORD: Those who honor God and order their lives in accordance with His will because of their reverence for Him.... A loving reverence for God that includes submission to His lordship and to the commands of His word.
Love finding new "nuggets" of wisdom, strength and peace. I'll keep sharing. Sorry if this post was a little random and scattered. :)
In Him
~K
