Feb 2, 2024
Blessed is the one who fears the LORD always, but whoever hardens his heart will fall into calamity.
(Proverbs 28:14, ESV)
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Blessed is the one who fears the LORD always, but whoever hardens his heart will fall into calamity.
(Proverbs 28:14, ESV)
Faith's Checkbook
by Charles Spurgeon
Fear Has Its Place (Proverbs 28:14)
The fear of the LORD is the beginning and the foundation of all true religion. Without a solemn awe and reverence of God there is no foothold for the more brilliant virtues. He whose soul does not worship will never live in holiness.
He is happy who feels a jealous fear of doing wrong. Holy fear looks not only before it leaps, but even before it moves. It is afraid of error, afraid of neglecting duty, afraid of committing sin. It fears ill company, loose talk, and questionable policy, This does not make a man wretched, but it brings him happiness. The watchful sentinel is happier than the soldier who sleeps at his post. He who foreseeth evil and escapes it is happier than he who walks carelessly on and is destroyed.
Fear of God is a quiet grace which leads a man along a choice road, of which it is written, "No lion shall be there, neither shall any ravenous beast go up thereon." Fear of the very appearance of evil is a purifying principle, which enables a man, through the power of the Holy Spirit, to keep his garments unspotted from the world. Solomon had tried both worldliness and holy fear: in the one he found vanity, in the other happiness. Let us not repeat his trial but abide by his verdict.
“Follow all the directions the LORD your God has given you. Life will go well for you.” —Deuteronomy 5:33 (GW)
“Obedience Is the Key That Unlocks God’s Promises” By Rick Warren:
“Have you ever thought about the link between faith and obedience? When you trust someone, you do what they say. If you don’t do what someone tells you to do, it means you don’t trust them.
In the Bible, God links faith and obedience over and over again. The promises of God are conditioned on you following the directions he gives you.
Deuteronomy 5:33 says, “Follow all the directions the Lord your God has given you. Life will go well for you” (GW).
God has made some incredible, specific promises in his Word about obedience. In fact, there are so many promises that I can’t list them all here. But here are a few:
“God blesses those who obey him” (Proverbs 16:20 TLB).
“He saves those who obey him” (Psalm 7:10 GNT).
“The Lord watches over those who obey him” (Psalm 33:18 GNT).
“The Lord takes care of those who obey him” (Psalm 37:18 GNT).
“God gives us what we ask for because we obey God’s commands” (1 John 3:22 NCV).
“Always obey the Lord and you will be happy” (Proverbs 28:14 GNT).
“Keep God’s laws and you will live longer” (Proverbs 19:16 GNT).
“Those who obey him have all they need . . . Those who obey the Lord lack nothing good” (Psalm 34:9-10 GNT).
That’s an incredible list of promises. If you follow God’s directions, you’ll be blessed, saved, watched over, taken care of, given what you ask for, and happy; you’ll live longer and lack nothing good.
Obedience is the premise behind all of the promises. God gives you his promises by grace. But you get to enjoy his promises when you follow his instructions.
Sometimes you understand God’s instructions. But sometimes you don’t. And you need to obey whether or not you understand.
Some of God’s commands might sound confusing. Some may seem unfair. For example, the Bible says to take the first 10 percent of your income and give it back to him. It says that when people do evil to you, you are to do good back to them. These things don’t always make sense from a human standpoint. But the things that don’t make sense to us are the things God asks us to do by faith. He wants us to trust him and obey anyway.
I want you to enjoy all of God’s promises. Obedience is the key that unlocks them. Choose to follow his directions today in faith. He promises to reward you for your obedience.”
Proverbs 28:14 (NIV) - Blessed is the one who always trembles before God, but whoever hardens their heart falls into trouble.
Rev. James Smith’s Daily Bible Readings for the Lord’s Household (1841–1850)
"Happy is the man that feareth alway." - Proverbs 28:14
GODLY fear flows from grace, and is always connected with spiritual knowledge. It is the fear of a tender child, who would not on any account grieve a kind and loving parent. It is a covenant blessing. Our God bestows it on all whom He loves; and they consequently fear to offend Him, their Father; dishonour their gracious Saviour, or grieve the Holy Comforter. They fear lest they should be led astray from God by their own hearts, by Satan, by professors, by the world, or any of the dispensations of providence. They fear to trust their own judgments, they reverence God's word, and dread a lukewarm state. Happy is the man who thus feareth alway; he happily preserves a tender conscience, a humble mind, and a consistent walk. He proves his interest in all new-covenant blessings; has much to do with the blood of atonement; and enjoys a solid peace. He is in a happy state, standing high in the favour of God, walking in the comforts of the Holy Ghost, and keeping himself unspotted from the world. Oh, for godly fear to rule my heart, and preserve my goings!
This fear's the spirit of faith, A confidence that's strong; An unctious light to all that's right, A bar to all that's wrong.
Proverbs 28:14 (NIV) - Blessed is the one who always trembles before God, but whoever hardens their heart falls into trouble.
Fear Has Its Place
by Charles Spurgeon
"Happy is the man that feareth alway." - Proverbs 28:14
The fear of the LORD is the beginning and the foundation of all true religion. Without a solemn awe and reverence of God there is no foothold for the more brilliant virtues. He whose soul does not worship will never live in holiness.
He is happy who feels a jealous fear of doing wrong. Holy fear looks not only before it leaps, but even before it moves. It is afraid of error, afraid of neglecting duty, afraid of committing sin. It fears illcompany, loose talk, and questionable policy. This does not make a man wretched, but it brings him happiness. The watchful sentinel is happier than the soldier who sleeps at his post. He who foreseeth evil and escapes it is happier than he who walks carelessly on and is destroyed.
Fear of God is a quiet grace which leads a man along a choice road, of which it is written, "No lion shall be there, neither shall any ravenous beast go up thereon." Fear of the very appearance of evil is a purifying principle, which enables a man, through the power of the Holy Spirit, to keep his garments unspotted from the world. Solomon had tried both worldliness and holy fear: in the one he found vanity, in the other happiness. Let us not repeat his trial but abide by his verdict.
A tenderhearted person lives a blessed life. (Proverbs 28:14) -L