The Law of the Lord

 "The Law of the Lord is perfect, refreshing the soul." Psalm 19:7 NIV

How often in today's society do we view laws as constricting and limiting.  We chaff against the rules of government even if we follow them. Some laws we agree with if they increase our personal safety or wealth.  But the Law of the Lord is totally different from secular laws.  It is perfect which means it is totally just, totally complete, totally good.  The purpose of the Law is to bring us into relationship with God.  It refreshes the soul.  Only God and his wisdom can truly refresh our souls. Worldly pursuits can give us a quick flash of happiness or excitement but only God gives us lasting water for our thirsty souls. His Law is not oppressive.  It is liberating and life-giving.

Dear Father, thank you for your perfect Law. I pray that I will keep your laws firmly in my heart at all times.  The only way I can be a blessing to others is if I have obeyed your laws and refreshed my soul.  I pray that the church will always keep your Law front and foremost.

Heavenly Fear

 "...the fear of God will be with you to keep you from sinning."  Exodus 20:20 NIV

The fear of God is sometimes viewed as a negative thing. Many people try to dilute it and call it reverence or respect.  But the Bible says "fear" and for a good reason.  We are by nature stubborn and self-centered and it is the fear of God that motivates us to turn away from our sins.  The threat of God's discipline helps us to focus our hearts on doing the right thing because otherwise we make any number of excuses for our bad behaviour. The Bible has many verses that talk about the fear of God.  They remind us that following God and obeying him brings great rewards, not least of which is a true relationship with God.  We can be thankful that God uses our strong emotion of fear to get our attention and guide us into real life.

Dear God, thank you for telling us to fear you.  We fear so many things that should not be feared: death, illness, others' opinions of us, poverty. These unrighteous fears destroy our lives. You promise us that if we fear you instead that you will save us, forgive us and give us everlasting life with you.  Thank you for giving us hope and many blessings in this life as well as helping us to be a blessing to others. Until we truly love you, we need to fear you.