LIFE=DEVOTION TO GOD (5/15)

"All the believer's devoted themselves to the apostles teaching, fellowship, the breaking of bread (including the Lord's Supper) and prayer. And a great sense of awe came over them all..." Acts 2:42-43

A great sense of awe is nothing more than the fear of the Lord. Fear is defined as either a great sense of awe, reverence and respect or a sense of alarm due to danger.

Job 28:28, "And this is what he says to all humanity: 'The fear of the Lord is true wisdom; to forsake evil is real understanding.'" A life devoted to God is a life lived in awe, reverence and respect of God. There is real evil, but the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.

I want to live with a great sense of awe about my church, ,my faith, my hope, Jesus and things that matter. I want to have this uncompromisable passion to always have reverence and respect for what is possible and what is God.

Too many times in this life we get in fear over the impending doom we hear about on the news channel. Even family members can spread fear all around us. I remember my grandma being a rather fearful woman at times and it making me scared. I have realized my reaction to a situation creates the environment my wife and child live in. May I have a sense of wonder and awe about what God can do with insurmountable circumstances, and live without fear of those circumstances.

The fear of the Lord trusts, it equips; it answers the unanswerable. When mom and dad passed I didn't know why; in fact, I prayed for their rescue, but when they were confirmed lost it was the fear of the Lord, this sense of awe of things to come that sustained me. Proverbs 14:27, "Fear of the Lord is a life-giving fountain; it offers escape from the snares of death.

Let a sense of awe, reverence and respect sweep over your thoughts, words and deeds. God can do anything. He often is working behind the scenes and in ways we never know all along. Proverbs 19:23, "Fear of the Lord leads to life, bringing security and protection from harm."

Let the fear of the Lord secure your salvation.
Isaiah 33:6, "In that day he will be your sure foundation, providing a rich store of salvation, wisdom, and knowledge. The fear of the Lord will be your treasure."

Let a great sense of awe be in your church.
Acts 9:31, "The church then had peace throughout Judea, Galilee, and Samaria, and it became stronger as the believers lived in the fear of the Lord. And with the encouragement of the Holy Spirit, it also grew in numbers."

Let reverence and respect guide you as you work.
Colossians 3:22-24, "Slaves, obey your earthly masters in everything you do. Try to please them all the time, not just when they are watching you. Serve them sincerely because of your reverent fear of the Lord. 23 Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people."

Proverbs 22:4, "True humility and fear of the Lord lead to riches, honor, and long life."