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Praise the Lord! I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart,in the company of the upright, in the congregation. Great are the works of the Lord, studied by all who delight in them. Full of honor and majesty is his work, and his righteousness endures for ever. He has gained renown by his wonderful deeds;the Lord is gracious and merciful. He provides food for those who fear him; he is ever mindful of his covenant. He has shown his people the power of his works, in giving them the heritage of the nations. The works of his hands are faithful and just; all his precepts are trustworthy. They are established for ever and ever,to be performed with faithfulness and uprightness. He sent redemption to his people; he has commanded his covenant for ever. Holy and awesome is his name. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; all those who practice it have a good understanding. His praise endures for ever. (Psalm 111)
One of the most difficult part of writing a devotional is coming up with a title! And this is especially true with the psalms, for David and his love for God included many things for which God was to be praised and thus includes many areas of focus. For example, today's psalm. The first verse is a command to praise the Lord. Yes! We should praise God! Then, he says he is thankful to the Lord with his whole heart. Yes! What hasn't God shared with us that hasn't blessed us enough for us to not be thankful? We should all have an attitude of gratitude for all God does. And David says we should do it in the presence of other believers (church). He then says great are God's works. Indeed! All of God's handiwork is to be admired with awe; yes. God is known by those who are aware of His wonderful deeds; God has forgiven all who have asked and we have seen God's mercy. And, God "provides food for those who fear Him." Yes! God keeps His promises. Yes! God's work never ceases to amaze, for He continues to work among and through us. And the verse I chose, because of the powerful truth it contains and promises, "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom." The Message version's of this verse is our title: "The good life beings in the fear of the Lord."
One of my joys is to share the Bible with my grandkids and I remember sharing what fear means when it comes to fearing God. "It's not to be afraid of God, but to have a deep respect for God, because God is so awesome, " I said. "Oh," came the little voice. "We should love God and seek to obey God; this is part of what that word means." And indeed, the fullness of life, the abundant life begins with that loving deep respect we should have for God. Jesus said that He had come to bring us life, and life in abundance; and a good life begins fearing God. Yesterday in our Heaven class, we talked about the one thing that can keep us out of Heaven and that is sin. We talked also about how someone moved the line and what was once considered a sin for some people is no longer viewed that way, and few say anything out of the wrong kind of fear; we don't want to make anyone uncomfortable, but I can't imagine a more uncomfortable thing than spending eternity separated from God. A good life is one who values what God has done and shared with us, and one that seeks the good for others, and one that has great gratitude towards God. As the verse continues, "All those who practice it have a good understanding." Indeed.
PRAYER: Loving God, help me life have all this psalm includes in it. I want to praise and serve You. I want to sing your praises with all. I want to have a thankful attitude towards all You have shared with me. And I want to have the proper fear of You so that my life may be good. This I pray in Christ Jesus who has brought me abundant life. Amen.
Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! Show some "fear" today!
Eradio Valverde
Prayer Request and Updates: I finally got to see Charlotte Wilson in San Antonio yesterday (It only took me two days!) and she is in good spirits. Please pray for her healing. She had a reaction to the metal used in her leg and infections have set in. Prayers for the family of Joaquin Ellis, who was on life support after a seizure. He is the baby nephew of Katrina and Brian Sherman, our youth directors here at the church. Prayers for healing for Alison Davis, our children's ministry coordinator, who is hospitalized. Prayers for Mary Tomas, who is slowly recovering from her surgery and will be out of commission as one of our ushers until March. Continued prayers for Ann Robinson, who was transferred back to Gonzales from Victoria. Again, your prayers matter much to God and for those for whom we are praying. Dear Reader, you are a blessing!
