Continue with the Lord (Proverbs 23:17-18)

Out of all the things that we should be envious of, the life of the sinner should not be one of them. David, in his Psalms, often commented on how they would always seem to prosper but he would always end the psalm with acknowledgement of how the Lord looks after His children.

"Let not your heart envy sinners, but continue in the reverent and worshipful fear of the Lord all the day long." Proverbs 23:17, Amplified

To envy the sinner is to take a detour from our worship of the Lord. We are instructed to continue in the fear of the Lord, in other words that mindset should never cease in our lives. It is like having a GPS in the car. There is no need for the driver to turn of the path, he only needs to continue on the path set by the device. The Lord is our GPS and there is no need to turn from the path the He has set for us.

"For surely there is a latter end [a future and a reward]; and your hope and expectation shall not be cut off." Proverbs 23:18, Amplified

There is a finish line, a goal, for the Christian. As we continue in our reverence and worship of the Lord, we get closer to that goal. The funny thing about that finish line, though, is that even if we discontinue with the Lord we still come closer to the finish line. It's position in our lives does not change. What does and can change in the trophy received at the end of our journey.

Forget Film Franchise Fear (Proverbs 9:10-12)

When we think of fear in this day and age I feel that we go straight to the things associated with fear. Freddy Kruger, Jason, Michael Meyers from the various horror film franchises. But true fear begins in the heart with the Lord. This fear is not like you would find in the movie theater where your date holds your hand simply because she is scared. This fear is a respect, a reverence. This fear is very personal as we will see in today's reading.

"The reverent and worshipful fear of the Lord is the beginning [the chief and choice part] of Wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight to understanding." Proverbs 9:10, Amplified

Wisdom begins in the fear of the Lord. If we respect our teachers in life, we are more prone to listen to what they have to teach us. The same thing can be said of the Lord. To respect the Lord is to read His Word, pray everyday and take what we have received from Him and apply it in our lives. Jonah was a man who at one time did not fear the Lord. He became defiant, so much so that he ended up at the bottom of the ocean in the belly of a fish. Is this where our lack of fear needs to take us before we really understand? The Lord does not desire to have us all in the belly of fishes. He would much rather we go to our Ninevites and complete the task that is given to us. When Jonah finally got to his destination, the entire nation received what the Lord had to give them as well. Are we too selfish to share what the Lord is giving to us? Respect the Lord with everything that is within you for you never know how you might be used to affect the world, or just a single life.

"For by me [Wisdom from God], your days shall be multiplied and the years of your life shall be increased." Proverbs 9:11, Amplified

With wisdom from God comes a longer life. Wisdom from God creates a cleaner living environment for ourselves. Better choices are made for ourselves. Notice the theme right now. It is very personal, very me centered. Our walk with the Lord does not include anyone else. It is like this bubble that no one else can enter. My fear, my respect effects my relationship with the Lord, and the same can be said of you and yours.

"If you are wise, you are wise for yourself; if you scorn, you alone will bear it and pay the penalty." Proverbs 9:12, Amplified

This fear that we have will bring with is longer life and a multitude of days and I alone will benefit. However, if I scoff at the gentle rebukes and kind instruction of the Lord I will have no one else to blame but myself. AS I stated before, our walk with the Lord is very personal, the choices we make in that walk are blessings, or curses, that we alone will have to deal with. Either respect the Lord and live, or scorn the Lord and pay the penalty. Decide today.