Just as cramming for an exam is ineffective so also is a life without a fear of God. How do we learn to fear God? We must know God by learning who He is. We must ”Stand by the roads, and look, and ask for the ancient paths, where the good way is; and walk in it, and find rest for your souls.” Jeremiah 6:16  By looking back upon who God is and what He has done throughout the lives of those who have gone before us we learn to fear Him. This fear is birthed out of our reverent love for God. Listen to God and find hope in Him.

The people of Israel consistently wandered from their devotion to God. The things of life continually crowded into their lives and upon the slippery slope of apathy and lethargy idols took the throne of their lives. The wonderful truth that God was faithful regardless of the actions of the Israelites is our hope. God worked to redeem Israel and myself, even as we were in our sinful state. What do we do when we find ourselves wandering? What happens when our devotion seems to wain? We must first and foremost remember that God is the faithful constant. We are the ones who wander, waver, and wain. Remember that the path traveled is governed by God. He enables us to walk in Him. Rest knowing that your life is in His hands. Your present circumstances may not transform in an instant but your outlook will be at peace in Him.

“She seeks wool and flax, and works with willing hands. She is like the ships of the merchant; she brings her food from afar.” Proverbs 31:13  Does the work of your hands bring glory to God? Do you seek to provide for all of those under your care? “Her husband is known in the gates when he sits among the elders of the land.” Proverbs 31:23  Are you upright and heart as you interact with the world around you? Are you known for your character? “Her children rise up and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her: ’Many women have done excellently, but you surpass them all.’ Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised. Give her of the fruit of her hands, and let her works praise her in the gates.” Proverbs 31:28-31 It is vitally important that God is Lord of your life. Nothing else matters compared to knowing God. Will you seek to follow God? We are only blessed by knowing God. Love God with your heart, mind, soul, and strength and you will know blessing in your life.

If we fail to cling to God in the easy day to day moments we will have the peace and assurance of God’s ultimate deliverance that comes from an intimate relationship with Him? “For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of the soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.” Hebrews 4:12  Will you embrace the life changing word of God? Out most the simplistic act of meditating on God’s love story for us His enabling power is manifested through our lives to proclaim His glory to everyone around us. ”Show me a sign for good, that those who hate me may see it and be ashamed, because You, O Lord, have helped me and comforted me.” Psalm 86:17

In Psalm 28 David is seeking out assurance from God that He is there and that He is listening to his cries for help. “To You, O Lord, I call; My rock, do not be deaf to me, For if you are silent to me, I will become like those who go down to the pit. Hear the voice of my supplications when I cry to You for help, when I lift up my hands toward Your holy sanctuary.” Psalm 28:1,2  Our human minds cannot grasp the infinite God of heaven and earth. We read His truths throughout scripture but we have difficulty living out and clinging to that truth on a permanent daily basis. Just as a baby cries out to their parents for assurance we too cry out to God seeking assurance that He is still there.

When we are face trials and trouble we need to cry out for help. Is it a bad thing for us to continually need assurance from God? We are the children of God and we are learning to depend and trust Him just as a baby learns to depend upon their parents. I implore you to seek God continually in a daily time of mediation on His wondrous love story to you. As you read the Bible you will learn who God is and you will depend on Him. Your hope will come from knowing Him.

In Psalm 11 David is faced with tribulation in a moment of crisis. What did he do? His refuge that offered lasting help and hope was the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. How do we find refuge in the seemingly untangle God? How did David hope in God? David’s faith was kindled as God drew Him closer to Himself. As David learned to cling to God and love Him with his heart, mind, soul and strength the hope to overcome calamity was developed. The faithfulness of God will renew your hope as you learn that He is always there for you. If you find yourself tossed about when difficult moments of life arise what hope do you have? Ask that God will draw you closer to Himself as you learn to cling to Him in all things. Take time to seek God on a consistent basis. If you run to God on a daily basis you will easily run to God for your hope and help in your moment of crisis.

There was a point in my life when I regarded a daily time in God’s Word as a secondary part of my routine that I would seek out only after my desires were met. I was wrong.  After many months of consistent time seeking out God in the Old Testament I can affirm the absolute necessity for every believer to take time each day to meditate on the truths of God. The relationship with God that is kindled from your daily time in the Word will remind you of who God is and his amazing nature. When your perspective is grounded daily on God you will find strength to endure every moment.

How do we overcome the wickedness of the world around us? The despair brought about by sin is like a cloud that envelopes the world. If we as followers of Jesus Christ do not take time to rest in Him daily we will overwhelmed by the taint of sin. Have you had days where hope seemed only an illusion and everything was dull and pointless? Did you seek out God on that day when hope  was fleeting? Did you wake up that morning and find your strength in God? When God is our refuge we have a place we can go where there will always be joy, hope and peace. This refuge will never fade away because it is based upon the unfaltering faithfulness of God. Take your hope for today knowing that God is ready to embrace you in His loving arms, just take time to meet Him in His Word.

Joshua, the leader of Israel after Moses, understood the necessity of nurturing a relationship with God when, in Joshua 1:8, he exhorts the people of Israel to seek out the truth found in the Book of the Law at all times. Why should we care about meditating on the things of God? Just as a tree flourishes on water so also our lives flourish on God. When we keep ourselves rooted in God we  flourish and are filled with joy, hope and peace and at the appointed time we will be used by God for His purpose and will. In contrast the sinful and wicked are inherently dry as they lack the nourishing and living water of God.

The lack of God in the sinners life causes their life to bear no fruit and only death. The righteous believer who follows God will flourish as God ordains his steps but the sinner will ultimately perish. There can be no hope for the person who has rejected the hope offered in Jesus Christ and His death on the cross. There is no way to spontaneously create hope apart from God. When the sinner craft their idols it is a futile attempt to satisfy the need for that true refreshment that only God offers. Where do you go to seek your refreshment? If you turn to anything other than God alone for sustenance I implore you to turn to God and cling to Him as you journey through life.

In chapter 31, Job is emphasizing his integrity before his friends. He is standing before them with no known sin in his life. He has sought to be upright in all his doings. This doesn’t mean that Job is sinless, but he has been consciously following God in all the areas of life. Job loves the Lord with all his heart, mind, soul and strength causing him to love his fellow man with that same love. When you look back upon your life are you consistently seeking to follow God in all the ways of your life? Has your love for God manifested to a love for your neighbor? Let your hope be firmly in God alone.

After the final words of Job in chapter 31 a young man named Elihu enters the discussion in chapter 32. Where was this young man during the discussion of Job, Zophar, Bildad and Eliphaz? Elihu could not abide Job being justified before God. This young man was compelled to speak out. Should the younger generations desire to speak out? Would it be best to keep silent? When Elihu chooses to speak what is his motive? In the same way what are the reasons that we speak out? Some people desire to always have their words in a conversation. Do some people just desire to argue with other people? Let us not be too eager to speak out. Words we speak can never be taken back so take heed when you feel compelled to speak out.

Emphasizing the lineage of the priests and Levites was critical upon returning to Israel with the intent to worship God again because the Levites and descendants of Aaron were set apart to minister before God. Anyone who could not prove their lineage would not be allowed to minister before God so that the anger of the Lord would not be kindled. The people in Jerusalem were seeking to adhere to the commandments of God. This returning to God would be a great source of joy.

In 2 Chronicles 11:13-17 the departure of the Levites and priest from the cities within Israel was detailed. Here in Nehemiah we see that the Levites and priest are returning to their cities. The idolatry of the forefathers of Israel prior to the exile in Babylon is cast aside as the people in unison seeking to follow God. It took seventy years of exile to turn the peoples hearts back to God. The leadership of Israel was rebuilt in during this time in Nehemiah where the people wholly desired to follow God and keep all of His commandments.

This a great moment for the people of Israel as they have returned to Jerusalem. How long will their faithfulness endure? Throughout the Old Testament the story presented shows how unfaithful and distracted the people of Israel are as time progresses and life become routine. The people go from a passionate desire to follow God to a lukewarm relationship that leads to a total disregard of God. This cycle is prevalent today where people make great professions to follow God but the routine of life is not surrendered to God and the people are drawn slowly away from God. How do we guard our lives from this slow decline? We need to cling to God with all of our being and that starts with growing to know God through regular devotional time in the Word of God.