The Daily Fountain Daily Devotional of the Church Of Nigeria (Anglican Communion) 22 August 2019 – Where Is The Fear Of God?
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TOPIC: Where Is The Fear Of God?
READ: Jeremiah 5:14-31 King James Version (KJV)
14 Wherefore thus saith the LORD God of hosts, Because ye speak this word, behold, I will make my words in thy mouth fire, and this people wood, and it shall devour them.
15 Lo, I will bring a nation upon you from far, O house of Israel, saith the LORD: it is a mighty nation, it is an ancient nation, a nation whose language thou knowest not, neither understandest what they say.
16 Their quiver is as an open sepulchre, they are all mighty men.
17 And they shall eat up thine harvest, and thy bread, which thy sons and thy daughters should eat: they shall eat up thy flocks and thine herds: they shall eat up thy vines and thy fig trees: they shall impoverish thy fenced cities, wherein thou trustedst, with the sword.
18 Nevertheless in those days, saith the LORD, I will not make a full end with you.
19 And it shall come to pass, when ye shall say, Wherefore doeth the LORD our God all these things unto us? then shalt thou answer them, Like as ye have forsaken me, and served strange gods in your land, so shall ye serve strangers in a land that is not yours.
20 Declare this in the house of Jacob, and publish it in Judah, saying,
21 Hear now this, O foolish people, and without understanding; which have eyes, and see not; which have ears, and hear not:
22 Fear ye not me? saith the LORD: will ye not tremble at my presence, which have placed the sand for the bound of the sea by a perpetual decree, that it cannot pass it: and though the waves thereof toss themselves, yet can they not prevail; though they roar, yet can they not pass over it?
23 But this people hath a revolting and a rebellious heart; they are revolted and gone.
24 Neither say they in their heart, Let us now fear the LORD our God, that giveth rain, both the former and the latter, in his season: he reserveth unto us the appointed weeks of the harvest.
25 Your iniquities have turned away these things, and your sins have withholden good things from you.
26 For among my people are found wicked men: they lay wait, as he that setteth snares; they set a trap, they catch men.
27 As a cage is full of birds, so are their houses full of deceit: therefore they are become great, and waxen rich.
28 They are waxen fat, they shine: yea, they overpass the deeds of the wicked: they judge not the cause, the cause of the fatherless, yet they prosper; and the right of the needy do they not judge.
29 Shall I not visit for these things? saith the LORD: shall not my soul be avenged on such a nation as this?
30 A wonderful and horrible thing is committed in the land;
31 The prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests bear rule by their means; and my people love to have it so: and what will ye do in the end thereof?
THE MESSAGE:
God delights in those who fear Him (Psalm 147:11). The fear of the Lord brings enlightenment and understanding (Proverbs 1:7). Events in our society today show that many people who call themselves people of God, no longer fear Him. The consequence is the rise in evil in our societies.
Jeremiah was required to remind the children of God of the dangers that result from their foolish and senseless ways of forsaking the Lord for idols. One notable danger was that such people become lifeless, like the idols (verse 21). God always rebukes such people for them to forsake their foolish ways for their own good and blessings (Malachi 1:6, 3:16, 4:2).
The lack of the fear of God is very noticeable in our society today as evil now reigns in many places.
How can we do so that the fear of God will dominate our lives and the things we do? We need to know that God is Almighty. He created and holds everything in check (verse 22).
The favour and blessings of God will be poured out upon us only if we can restore the fear of God in our lives (verse 24).
Prayer: Lord, may Your fear so dominate me that I will be kept away from evil, only by Your grace. Amen.
