Feb 26 2022

By humility and the fear of the Lord are riches, and honour, and life.

In this verse in Proverbs, the writer says that as we walk in humility and the fear of the Lord, we will receive riches, honor, and life. Knowing the Lord is not without sacrifices, but neither is it without immense blessings.

The writer begins by emphasizing humility and fear of the Lord. Humility is understanding that we are not our own and that our salvation was given to us by God. When we understand that we do not deserve salvation, that it is an act of grace that we did nothing to receive, we will begin to walk in humility. A saint takes no pride in saintliness. Rather, saints recognize that they are who they are because God has been gracious to them.

Fearing the Lord means that we recognize His power and justice. The Lord takes sin very seriously, and holiness is not a mere suggestion for the Christian life. It's an expectation and requirement. Fearing the Lord means that we recognize His expectations for us and seek Him faithfully, repenting of our sins as they happen and spending time with Him day after day.

Humility combined with a fear of the Lord brings blessings to Christians and riches, as the Proverb says. These are not material riches, but rather, a relationship with Jesus, the most precious of all riches. This relationship is sweet because we get to experience God working within us and through us. We are also promised honor. While this often does not come in this life, we know that in the Lord's eyes we are saints. We will be glorified with Him in Heaven.

Most importantly, as Christians we get life, which means several things in this context. It means we are freed from sin. We no longer have to be slaves to sin, controlled by evil and wrong desires. It means we can walk in confidence and faith in the Lord, trusting that He is guiding us always. It also means we have eternal life with God. We do not have to be afraid of death because we know He has already taken us from death to life and we will be with Him forever.

Dear Lord, I thank you so much for all of the blessings that come from you. Thank you for the riches, honor, and life that you offer me. I do not deserve any of them, and yet you give them to me in abundance. I rest in your goodness and faithfulness, Jesus. You are precious to me. In your name, amen.

Feb 25 2022

Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. :

In this verse, John explains that the true meaning of love is what God feels for us. He loved us long before we knew anything about Him. He sent Jesus to atone for our sins so we could have a relationship with Him. Let's look at how this definition of love affects the way we live today.

The Lord loved us even when we were far from Him. Think about your life before you knew Jesus. How did you live? How has your life changed since you've known Him? Before you ever surrendered your life to Him, God loved you. All along, even when you were unaware, He was moving and orchestrating your salvation because of His love for you.

This is encouraging to us also because we know that the Lord loves those who are far from Him, as well as those who are near. The people for whose salvation we have prayed are loved dearly by the Lord. He has not forgotten any of us and He loves each person including those who reject Him. We are all His creations and He loves each of us. Before we even knew the name Jesus, God loved us.

The Lord does not passively love. He sent His son to die for us so we could have a relationship with Him. Think about that: a relationship with us was worth God's own son undergoing a horribly painful death and separation from Him. Jesus loved us enough to willingly go to the cross.

Think about how valuable you are to the Lord. He loved you even when you did not love Him in return. You are loved by the Lord more than you love those who are close to you and more than you even love yourself. Rest knowing that you are valued beyond measure by the One who created you.

Dear Lord, I thank you so much for your love. I will never deserve it and yet you bestow it upon me willingly. Help me to remember and walk in that immense level of grace that you show me. Thank you for loving everyone around me, especially those who do not yet know you. Help them come to know you, Jesus. In your name, amen.


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