DAILY GUIDE DEVOTIONAL: Blessings for those who fear the lord

Text: Psalms 128:1-6

What a beautiful way to start off the new month. We welcome July in the name of Jesus. We declare it a month of perfection in our walk with God. When our ways please the lord he blesses us beyond our wildest imagination. Blessings in this context is not directed at wealth and material acquisition. This is often the way the world describes blessings, but that's rather myopic and vague.

The most profound blessing a man can get from God is that of knowing God and having him at the center of his life. In John17:3 it says: this is eternal life, knowing you the one true God and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. The life we have here and all of its attendant material blessings are all passing away. They are nothing compared to the blessings of eternal life. The most important thing this present life offers us is an opportunity to choose where to be placed in the real life to come. And the assurance of this blessing is in verse 1:

"Blessed is every one who fears the lord, who walks in his ways"

The fear of the lord is the beginning of wisdom. It is also the beginning of wealth and success. We must clear some misconceptions. Many Christians have been hardwired to perceive righteousness as their own ability to stay away from sin. This is not actually what it means. Keeping away from sin should be an offshoot of surrendering our lives to JESUS and accepting him as the one who made righteousness and holy living possible. When we have acknowledged and believe him  then we receive the power to stay away from sin. When you are not yet born again and you go to church and hear messages it might prick your conscience and you resolve to change. You can't change by your own power. Jesus alone is the wisdom, salvation and righteousness of God. You must surrender your inability to him and he will transform you to become a man that truly fears God. When you receive this new life, you live it out in humility knowing fully well that it is not by your power.  But when you try by your power to do good you take credit for everything you do and that breeds pride. Yet whatever good thing you can do by your own power amounts to a filthy rag before God. 

Therefore jettison your self righteousness today. Submit your life to Christ ask him to come into your life and be your lord and master, to take away your sin and grant you a fulfilled life in God. Then will you begin to reap real and lasting fruitfulness as described in this Psalm. May God keep us united to him this month and beyond in Jesus name. Amen.