For today, One Year Bible Online links here.
The proverb writer advises us to fear both God and the government. This is certainly sound advice, as is his advice to not join in rebellion against either. Both have the power to make your life miserable. However, there is a difference. while both may want what is best for you (God certainly does, and oftentimes government officials do), only God actually knows what that is.
None can stand against God when His anger at evil bursts forth. God is slow to anger because He loves each and every one of us, but He will only allow oppression and other evils to go on for so long before He acts to bring judgment against those who are guilty. This is the reason I honor and praise His name.
The Gospel changes lives. It has changed mine and it can change yours. In order for this change to happen you need to understand the truth about God’s grace, that we cannot earn His love, but He loves us nonetheless. When we stop doing good in order to prove our worth and instead begin doing good because we love God and others. At that point we begin to allow the Holy Spirit to enter into our lives and remove the desire to sin.
The Holy Spirit will give us knowledge of God’s will if we open our minds and hearts to receiving it. The more we are willing to do and follow God’s will, the more He will reveal it to us. There is a feedback loop pointed out in this passage: the more we pray, the more spiritual wisdom we will gain; the more spiritual wisdom we have, the more we will pray. I am earnestly seeking that the Holy Spirit train me to pray more.
I was struck by the first verse of this passage. Day after day I read the comments of people who are crying out, “At last we are free from God! We don’t need him anymore!” Yet, problems escalate and get worse. They seek one solution after another, but refuse to turn to God. Our society is killing the innocent and the poor, even when they were not caught breaking into their neighbors house. We have videos come out of people profiting from killing the unborn, and others respond, “Well, what’s wrong with that?” We have civilians killing each other in the streets of our cities, many times the deaths are innocent bystanders, and people are protesting about criminals killed by the police. We have a tragic incident of a man shooting up a community college and our politicians call for more laws.
It is time, and past time, for people to stand up and declare, “Turn to God and beg His forgiveness. Repent of your sins and follow His commands.” We can seek on solution and another, but the only answer which will change us so that these tragedies stop happening is if we seek know God and follow His will.