The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. That means that we should have a reverential honor and respect for Him — just like the Wise Men did. We are wise when we set everything else in life aside in order to seek Him. We are wise when we worship Him and give Him everything that we are. We are wise when we take time to honor Him. Remember, God is a rewarder of the people who diligently seek after Him. As you continue to put Him first in all you do, you’ll increase in wisdom and discernment, and you’ll move forward into the life of blessing He has in store for you.
God loves you and He is for you! He is for your good; He is for your success; He is for your future. He desires for you to have every blessing and every promise declared in His Word. This is what the Bible calls His favor. At some point in our lives, even if we didn’t recognize it, we have all experienced God’s favor. It is simply His undeserved, unearned, unexplainable goodness in your life. God’s favor causes you to reap where you haven’t sown. His favor protects you, promotes you and opens new doors. His favor takes you places you could never go on your own.
He had this idea, it was kind of a virologist idea, he believed he could cure racism and hate, literally cure it by injecting music and love into people’s lives. One day he was scheduled to perform at a peace concert, gunmen came to his house and shot him down. Two days later he walked out on that stage and sang. Somebody asked him why. He said the people who were trying to make this world worse are not taking a day off. How can I? Light up the darkness.
Life is full of things that try to push us down. We all face disappointments and setbacks. Maybe you got some bad news concerning your health or maybe a relationship didn’t work out. That was a setback. It’s easy to get discouraged or lose your enthusiasm or even be tempted to just settle where you are. But if we’re going to see God’s best, we have to have a “bounce back” mentality. That means when you get knocked down, you don’t stay down. You get back up again. You have to know that every time adversity comes against you, it’s a setup for a comeback!
Remember, as a believer, the same power that raised Christ from the dead lives on the inside of you. There is no challenge too difficult, no obstacle too high, no sickness, no disappointment, no person, nothing that can keep you from your God-given destiny. If you stay in faith, then God will turn what was meant to be a stumbling block into a stepping stone, and you’ll move forward as a champion full of faith and victory!
So many times in my life, I feel that I’m begging God to reveal His Will, but it seems like all I’m doing is toiling away at some mundane, repetitive task just waiting for my life to begin. What I’ve come to realize is that God doesn’t waste anything. He’s always teaching us; always shaping us. He’s preparing us to respond instinctively to the battles of life with a level of faith and skill we didn’t know we possessed. You’re on your way to becoming a “Spiritual Black Belt” and your Heavenly Father is with you every step of the way!
Maybe you’re in a place right now where you feel that your prayers aren’t being answered and that God has forgotten about you, but nothing could be farther from the Truth. The Truth is, God loves you, He’s right there with you and He is using every difficult circumstance in your life for your good and His glory. If you’re going through something difficult or frustrating, I believe it’s because God is preparing you for something great! Keep trusting Him no matter what.
“Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and don’t rely on your own understanding. In all your ways, submit to Him and He will guide your steps.” Proverbs 3:5-6
