Reading your Bible for today January 15

January 15: Matthew 10:27-31

KJV Key Verse: Matthew 10:28
28 And fear * not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.

Devotion:
What does it mean to fear the Lord? If we take the literal meaning of the word in the way we use it nowadays we get a very different meaning to the phrase to fear the Lord than when the scripture was written. The Jews had a deep respect and reverence for God because they had history which showed them just how awesome God could be; we tend to forget about that side of God because we live in a modern world which is very different to the world back then. We are amazed by many things technological and scientific in comparison to the days of old.

God continues to baffle technicians and scientists as He works miracles they cannot fathom or accept but because of the weight of so many things happening those miracles tend to get swept under the carpet until someone can try and prove them scientifically. We are growing into a society which will only accept the things which can be proven and explained by other means rather than through what God can do. The Jews used to accept what God could do and give Him the glory and honour due to Him.

God has not changed and continues to work in many ways behind the scenes but we ignore much of that because of the world and all that is going on in it. God still wants us to tell others of the great thing He has done in the past and the things He continues to do but with modern society and scientific ways many people are not brave enough to stand up and say it is God’s way and not just science. To fear God means to accept He can do all things and to continue to uphold His name and His ways even when the world around you is trying to prove otherwise.

To fear God means to stand up for Him and not for the world. The birds continue to baffle engineers because they fly so effortlessly in comparison to anything man can build and yet Christ said we are far more valuable to Him than the birds. We may not be able to fly, we may be clumsy in comparison to birds, but God loves us the way we are because that is how He made us. Show God the reverence and respect due to an amazing God who loves you more than you realise!

Points to Ponder:
What is your greatest accomplishment?

Did you know God loved you even before you did that?