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(Proverbs 2:5) Then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God.
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Preceding this verse are five conditions for knowing God, which is finally, at last, the beginning of knowledge (verse 7). When these conditions are active descriptors of how I live and what I love, then I can enjoy valid and health-filled intimacy with God.
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First, I am impregnated by the Word His Spirit offers me; second, I hoard and treasure His commandments (verse 1). Third, I open my ears to hyper-alert attention, then stretch my being to apply whatever He commands (verse 2). Fifth, I boldly vocalize my desire for His knowledge; and sixth, I articulate how I’m changing my life based on my knowledge of God—something changes internally when I declare such things externally (verse 3). Seventh, I make redemptive riches my central prayer, and finally, I tirelessly discover and reclaim God’s answers to what sin had caused to be lost and hidden (verse 4).
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Father God, Your call on my life—on all people’s lives—is better than any Hollywood script. It’s real. It’s bigger than we are, at least it’s bigger than who and what my broken self-image is. Help me to be increasingly like Your precious Son, Jesus Christ.
S(1 Chronicles 9:2) Now the first to dwell again in their possessions in their cities were the Israelites, the priests, Levites, and Nathinims [temple servants]."
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The first people to repossess their land was a diverse group. They regained the security and liberty that their fathers--through abandoned morals and spiritual corruption--had squandered. God described these repossessors as "mighty, very able warriors of valor" (v. 13). Jesus sticks to this model. When He sent out His disciples to reclaim lost Israelites (lost souls), He told them to not fear being wrongly accused and killed (Matthew 10:10-39); instead, they were to fearlessly proclaim Jesus' kingdom, heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, and cast out demons (Matthew 10:6).
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Warriors can be spiritual or political, and warriors without valor--no matter how able to fight or willing to suffer and die--are a scourge. They're bullies, pirates, murderers, and despots. In contrast, warriors who possess and who are possessed by submission to virtue make justice and security possible for even the weakest of citizens. Jesus redefines these ideals: the reality of such valor and virtue is defined by one's love for and obedience to Himself, the King of kings.
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Lord, see that Your end game is for lot people to dwell safely in peaceful and secure homes. For this to happen, You send out warriors of righteousness and justice who blaze paths for others to follow. Lord, help me to be such a warrior of valor. Help me to reclaim all You desire for my relational connections.
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(Leviticus 26:14,15,36) “But if you will not listen to Me and will not do all of these commandments, if you spurn My statutes and if your soul abhors My rules...I will send faintness into [your] hearts...the sound of a driven leaf will put [you] to flight, and [you] shall flee...and fall when none pursues...”
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God’s commandments are assignments from an apt authority, and His statutes are helpful etchings my emperor makes in my heart. His judgments are warrants from the treasuries of His wisdom. Our covenant, like the treaties in ancient times that formed alliances of pledged friendship between monarchs, so, too, I’m honored by the covenant Jesus made with me. It keeps us from being intimidated by Satan’s threats.
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Like David in Psalm 119, I eagerly cultivate a loving respect for all God wants for me. It’s not a sacrificial degradation of my private desires, but an exhilarating exploration of joy.
PLord, I am so embarrassed to fall victim to fear as often as I do. How silly I’ve been to not boldly trust You. Yet, it’s by frightening, tiring circumstances that I discover the gift of courage that You’ve planted deep in my soul. Thank You. I worship You by getting courage out, exercising it, and playing with it. I love you, Dad! Your adopted son, ______
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