Amazing God of grace, pour out a double portion on the needs of this dear reader; in Christ Jesus I pray, amen.
As we continue our journey of grace, the second stanza of that awesome hymn comes to mind:
T'was Grace that taught my heart to fear.
And Grace, my fears relieved.
How precious did that Grace appear
The hour I first believed.
John Newton knew that in Proverbs 1:7 that "fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, which means the proper respect and attitude towards God begins to lead us in the right direction where God would have us be in our relationship. And in the second line, Newton says it is God's grace that relieves us of our earthly fears, those things that trouble and haunt us that could easily keep us from being the people God would want. And as grace visited, Newton realizes it is "precious," without an earthly price, priceless, in fact, from the moment we first believed until now.
That having been said, where is this country at this moment? Living in fear! We fear terrorists, we fear the economy, we fear those who are different from us, we fear what tomorrow may hold, and we have to ask, is this what the Lord would want for us? If we "fear" God then we should have no fears, for that "fear" in God should speak to our heart about Who is truly in control. And guess what, it is not us. Let us be reminded of what Paul says in the Epistle of 2 Timothy 1:7 (huh? Proverbs and 2 Timothy 1:7 have to do with "fear?"), "We have not been given a spirit of fear and timidity, but a spirit of power, of love, and self-control. Do you have that? Do you want that?
PRAYER: God of Heaven and Earth, grant to me that spirit of power, love, and self-control. Help me to remain fearful of You and empty of the fears that are so easily available that would destroy me. Bless me and let me be a blessing to others, in Christ Jesus I pray, amen.
Have a great and blessed day in the Lord.
Eradio Valverde
