Piety

I want to welcome every reader on this day that the Lord has made! May God give us all the spirit of wisdom and revelation of His Word which is live and active.

Yesterday we talked about what is means to call upon the Lord. We saw that to call upon God means to have consistent prayer life. Also we saw that in order to have such a life we need time, place and undivided attention on God. Prayer makes us close with God. Stable prayer life is the main component of my dedication to God.

Another crucial element of my dedication to God is walking in the fear of the Lord. Today we will talk about it in more detail.

Many people have learned to call upon the name of God, but they do not have a slightest idea of the fear of the Lord. It is very important to understand that our provision depends not only on our ability to call upon God, but also on the level of the fear of God in our lives.

My lifestyle is what determines the power of my prayers. Anyone who calls upon God must also fear God, – and that is what it means to call upon God in truth.

«The LORD is near to all who call upon Him, to all who call upon Him in truth» (Psalm, 145: 18).

What does it mean to fear God? It means:

• to honour Him,
• to respect Him,
• to be grateful to Him always.

Piety talks about respect, devotion and gratitude to God, and it reflects on the person’s lifestyle.

«You who fear the LORD, praise Him! All you descendants of Jacob, glorify Him, and fear Him, all you offspring of Israel! For He has not despised nor abhorred the affliction of the afflicted; nor has He hidden His face from Him; but when He cried to Him, He heard»(Psalm, 22: 24-25).

These three characteristics affect our lives and help us to hate evil.

«The fear of the LORD is to hate evil; pride and arrogance and the evil way and the perverse mouth I hate» (Proverbs, 8:13).

People that fear God hate evil and sin, because every kind of evil is sin. Nevertheless it is easy for us to hate evil in other people and to justify our own actions. So often we see other person’s sins as something huge and terrible, but our own – as something small and insignificant. But God-fearing people, first, hate the evil and sin in their own lives.

«Oh, fear the LORD, you His saints! There is no want to those who fear Him. The young lions lack and suffer hunger; but those who seek the LORD shall not lack any good thing. Come, you children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the LORD. Who is the man who desires life, and loves many days, that he may see good? Keep your tongue from evil, and your lips from speaking deceit, depart from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it. The eyes of the LORD are on the righteous, and His ears are open to their cry» (Psalm, 34:10-16).

To fear God means to avoid evil, to do good, to seek peace and to follow it. Such a lifestyle attracts God’s provision and blessings.

«The secret of the LORD is with those who fear Him, and He will show them His covenant» (Psalm, 25:14).

God has some secrets that He reveals only to the ones who fear Him. God’s secrets make us prosperous and successful. But these secrets are meant only for those who are dedicated and devoted to God, the God-fearing people. A wise man fears God; a foolish man despises the walking in the fear of the Lord. Tomorrow we will talk about what it means to love God. That is also a choice of wise men that have dedicated their lives to God.

May God abundantly bless you!

Pastor Rufus Ajiboye