Today’s Bible Reading:
Genesis 24:52-26:16
Matthew 8:18-34
Psalm 10:1-15
Proverbs 3:7-8
Today’s Bible Verse(s):
Proverbs 3:7-8 (NLT): “Don’t be impressed with your own wisdom. Instead, fear the LORD and turn away from evil. Then you will have healing for your body and strength for your bones.”
Reflections on Today’s Bible Verse(s):
The two Old Testament verses that I have chosen today are the essence of New Testament revival in a nutshell. Let’s briefly unpack their truth.
“Don’t be impressed with your own wisdom.”
As we consider how we should live, we cannot rely upon what seems right to us. Yet, that is what so many so-called Jesus-followers do. They make up the rules as they go. So many of them rarely read their Bibles. They simply look at the people around them to determine what is right and wrong and try to live accordingly.
Just read the Gospels to realize that much of what Jesus commanded is counter-cultural and counter-intuitive. It’s counter-cultural because it isn’t the way the world acts and thinks. It’s counter-intuitive because it is often different from what would come naturally to us.
So, to know how we should live, we cannot be impressed with our own wisdom. We cannot rely upon it. Instead, we MUST get into God’s Word and study it so that it gets into us. We should know and understand God’s Word so much that our mind begins to think biblically.
“Instead, fear the LORD and turn away from evil.”
These words describe repentance, a crucial word in the New Testament. How important is it? It is the very first word that came out of John the Baptist’s mouth (Matthew 3:1-2) and out of Jesus’ mouth (Matthew 4:17) when they began their ministries.
Repentance means to TURN AWAY FROM what is sinful and TURN TO what is right. Stated another way: “fear the LORD and turn away from evil.”
How do we know what is evil? How do we know what it means to “fear the Lord?” The answer is found in the words that precede this command. We must not be impressed with our own wisdom but must get into God’s Word.
We discover in our Bibles what God has called evil, what He has prohibited. In our Bible, we also discover how we are to enjoy our God and live with the sobriety that comes from knowing that He disciplines His disobedient children.
So, what is the result of not relying upon our own wisdom as we consult God’s Word to determine what is right? What is the result of refusing to engage in sin and learning to enjoy and obey our God?
“Then you will have healing for your body and strength for your bones.”
Our spiritual well-being is interwoven with our physical well-being. When we are battling a guilty conscience, it affects us physically. When we are enjoying our God, our bodies feel better.
Essentially, we come to realize that consulting Scripture and living accordingly as we enjoy our God can have wonderful effects upon our bodies.
Friend, the benefits of being sold out for Jesus keep piling up! As you cry out for His grace, resolve today to be even more resolute about following Him and enjoying Him with everything you’ve got.
Whether or not God brings a much-needed national or even worldwide revival in our time won’t stop you from having a personal revival in your heart.
Matt’s Musings 