“And it shall be with him, and he shall read in it all the days of his life, that he may learn to fear the Lord his God by keeping all the words of this law and these statutes, and doing them, that his heart may not be lifted up above his brothers, and that he may not turn aside from the commandment, either to the right hand or to the left, so that he may continue long in his kingdom, he and his children, in Israel.” (Deuteronomy 17:19-20 ESV)
I am not a ruler but I am a leader in my home and in my workplace. I think the advice applies to me as well. I need to be reading God’s word regularly, keeping His commandments and not letting myself feel superior to others.
“May the glory of the Lord endure forever; may the Lord rejoice in His works, who looks on the earth and it trembles,, who touches the mountains and they smoke! I will sing to the Lord as long as I live; I will sing praise to my God while I have being. May my mediation be pleasing to Him, for I rejoice in the Lord. Let sinners be consumed from the earth, and the let the wicked be no more! Bless the Lord, O my soul! Praise the Lord!” (Psalm 104:31-35 ESV)
I also need to daily notice how amazing God’s creation is and that He is in complete control of it. God is sovereign. Whatever happens, it’s for a purpose and for His glory. May I sing a song that a pleasing aroma of praise to Him. I am so thankful for the hymn writers of yesterday and Christian artists of today that penned beautiful lyrics to sing.
“Fear not, nor be afraid; have I not told you from of old and declared it? And you are my witnesses! Is there a God besides Me? There is no Rock; I know not any.” (Isaiah 44:8 ESV)
My natural instinct in life is to fear at the first sign of bad news. But God’s word tells us over and over again not to. He is to be our Rock. He is capable of handling any situation we ask Him to handle. May I one day make this my first thought instead.
“Here is a call for the endurance of the saints, those who keep the commandments of God and their faith in Jesus. And I heard a voice from Heaven saying, ‘Write this: blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.’ ‘Blessed indeed,’ says the Spirit, ‘that they may rest from their labors, for their deeds follow them!” (Revelation 14:12-13 ESV)
No matter what happens in life, I know Who I belong to and where I am going when I die. This alone should encourage me to be in the word, be a good leader, trust instead of fear, appreciation God’s creation and power and endure the race. The prize at the end is more than worth it!
Lord,
Help me to obey all of your commands, including ones that tell me to NOT fear. Help me to be a diligent disciple and fight the good fight of faith as I navigate my way through this uncertain, fallen world. Thank you for your faithfulness.
Kellie
Sixty-six books in a year 