Lord’s Day, Vol. 6 No. 1
(1) Devotions for 2018
During the Family Day on 22nd December 2017, a new 365 Devotional Book on the book of Proverbs entitled “God for the Life that Wins!” by Denis Gibson was distributed for devotional use in 2018. It is available in both hardcopy and electronic version: https://www.blessedhope.sg/category/devotions/.
Here is the excerpt of the 7 January 2018 devotion entitled “The Life Changing Course!” based on Proverbs 1:7.
This verse (1:7) is the Motto of Proverbs (Pr. 9:10), and deserves special treatment because it is also the theme of the whole Bible (Ps. 111:10, Job 28:28). To acknowledge the Sovereignty of God in every area, is the first step to knowledge and to successful living.
“By and large the ancient people were more God-conscious than we are; no dimension of life was outside His domain. They did not leave Him in the template as we leave Him in church, nor was He relegated to one day of the week or certain times of the day. They were much more aware of God’s supervision and activity in their day by day routine” (Alden).
- The Root:The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge(v.7a).
The most intelligent thing we can do is to fear God. Fear suggests something negative but this fear is always positive. We do things that displease God, and fear is the proper attitude then. Always seek to be on “good terms” with God. This turns fear into reverence, reverential awe, not slavish dread as in paganism, and in much present-day religionism. “Oh, fear the Lord, ye His saints; for there is no want to them that fear Him” (Ps. 34:9)! It is “the fear of man that brings a snare,” but “the fear of the Lord is strong confidence” (Pr. 29:25, 14:26). “The knowledge of God is the root of all knowledge” (Arnot).
- The Shoot: This fear of the Lordspring from trustand love. The OT reveals God as the Holy One, absolutely separate, which is largely ignored today. We insist on humanising God. The NT reveals the Father, giving His only Begotten Son to be the Saviour of all who believe on Him. Such love constrains us to a fear-filled reverence. It is the outgrowth of childlike trust (Lu. 12:5-7). “O the wonder of it all, just to think that God loves me.” We only truly fear God in proportion to how truly we love Him.
- The Fruit: This verse is an antithetic proverb (Day 2). Notice the but here. It contrasts fear with despise and knowledge with fools. Consider the key words knowledge and wisdom. They are not quite the same. Knowledge is facts, basic information. Wisdom is the application of knowledge, or facts in action. Two persons hear the same facts on the knowledge of salvation. One takes this knowledge, acts upon it and is saved. The other receives it in his head, but it never reaches his heart! He has knowledge without wisdom. “To recognise this is the beginning, the necessary condition, the essential, pre-requisite of knowledge” (Perowne). There are many knowledgeable people but all too few wise ones (Pr. 15:2). Knowledge of God is better than all an unbelieving philosopher can ever attain. Thus, “a Christian peasant is wiser than the wisest who know not God” (Arnot).
Thought: Knowledge without God is merely a superstructure with no foundation.
Prayer: Lord, deliver me from the fear of man that ensnares the soul.
[ End of Devotion]
(2) Meditate on God’s Word
Joshua 1:8 This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.
Neglect not to read it (v8a), meditate continually to imbibe Godly instruction (v8b), apply the wisdom learned and experience God’s guidance and blessings (v8c).
May the Lord bless your devotional life in this new year of grace 2018. Amen.
Yours Lovingly,
Pastor Lek Aik Wee