Open Heavens Daily Devotional by Pastor E.A. Adeboye

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL 

DATE: TUESDAY MAY 23RD, 2023.

THEME: FEAR GOD

MEMORISE: 

The fear of the LORD is a fountain of life, to depart from the snares of death. 

Proverbs 14:27

READ: Proverbs 2:1 -5

1 My son, if thou wilt receive my words, and hide my commandments with thee;

2 So that thou incline thine ear unto wisdom, and apply thine heart to understanding;

3 Yea, if thou criest after knowledge, and liftest up thy voice for understanding;

4 If thou seekest her as silver, and searchest for her as for hid treasures;

5 Then shalt thou understand the fear of the LORD, and find the knowledge of God.

MESSAGE

Every truly wise person knows that the Maker of heaven and earth should be feared. This is why Proverbs 9:10 says:

The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding.

There is no greater foolishness than disregard for God. How can you fear people who are limited in power and authority, then have no fear for the One who can do as He pleases, who is answerable to no one (Daniel 4:35)

If you can fear those who can kill your body, how much more the One who can destroy both your body and soul in hell (Matthew 10:28)?  God should never be toyed with. I know there are people who tell you that you are not to fear God, but to just reverence Him. I don't know if they read that from their Bible, but my own Bible does not say the reverence of God is the beginning of wisdom, but rather, the fear of the Lord.

I don't play carelessly with fire. No matter how cold l get, l don't put my hand in because l fear it. Our God is the Consuming Fire (Hebrews 12:29). You should therefore not only reverence Him, but fear Him also. Even a mad dog recognizes fire when it sees it and does not play carelessly with it. 

If you don fear God, you are capable of doing any evil. The interesting thing is that, whether you fear fire or not, if you touch it, it will burn you. If, as a result of the fact that you have no fear of God you continue to commit sin, it is only a matter of time before the repercussions would start coming.

A person may enjoy the pleasures of sin here on earth, and may even be popular for being such a great sinner, but a time is coming when the person will leave this world and then face the judgement of God which will lead to eternal damnation for such a person.

Beloved, it is better to fear God, live holy and receive eternal life than to disregard Him here on earth and spend eternity burning in the lake of fire. Choose wisely.

KEY POINT 

Fear God so much that you will stay away from anything that can offend Him.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Nehemiah 8-10

AUTHOR: PASTOR E.A. ADEBOYE

HYMN 18: PRAISE TO THE LORD THE ALMIGHTY

1 Praise to the Lord, the Almighty, 

the King of creation!

O my soul, praise him, for he is 

your health and salvation!

Come, all who hear; 

now to his temple draw near,

join me in glad adoration.

2 Praise to the Lord, above 

all things so wondrously reigning;

sheltering you under his wings, 

and so gently sustaining!

Have you not seen all 

that is needful has been

sent by his gracious ordaining?

3 Praise to the Lord, who will 

prosper your work and defend you;

surely his goodness and mercy 

shall daily attend you.

Ponder anew what the Almighty can do,

if with his love he befriends you.

4 Praise to the Lord! O let all 

that is in me adore him!

All that has life and breath, 

come now with praises before him.

Let the Amen sound 

from his people again;

gladly forever adore him