GODLY FEAR

Friday, June 03

GODLY FEAR

Scripture Reference: Ecclesiastes 12:13 NLT

That’s the whole story. Here now is my final conclusion: Fear God and obey his commandments, for this is everyone’s duty.

The fear of God isn’t the dread we often have for dangerous creatures like the monster. It’s, however, the reverence or respect that we show toward God and the things pertaining to His Kingdom. It’s normally described as ‘godly’ or ‘holy’ fear.

So how can one exercise godly fear toward God? In Deuteronomy 31:11-13, Moses was to read the Book of the Law in the hearing of the people of Israel every seven years. The purpose for which God instructed him to do that is such an important lesson you need to pick up.

In the twelfth verse it says, ‘Gather the people together…that they may hear and that they may learn to fear the Lord your God and carefully observe all the words of this law.’

From this we can see that it’s of great necessity for the Word of God to be heard first and foremost before we can learn of His reverential fear. The importance of God’s Word can’t be stressed upon enough. It’s only the Word that can unveil the nature, the ways, thoughts, plans and purposes of God to a person.

We need His Word to clearly show us the dos and don’ts of His Kingdom. Availing ourselves to the Word – through hearing as well as personal study – is the only mean by which you can learn to fear the Lord. We can’t separate godly fear from obedience. How can we say we revere and respect God if we don’t walk in His ways?

Therefore, give yourself to the ministry of the Word; allow the Word to produce in you the Spirit of the fear of the Lord, which would in turn activate the Spirit of wisdom in your life (Psalm 111:10).

Grace unto you,

Osei Barnie

BASKING IN THE GLORY

Tuesday, December 15

BASKING IN THE GLORY

Scriptural reference: Exodus 24:18

Then Moses disappeared into the cloud as he climbed higher up the mountain. He remained on the mountain forty days and forty nights. NLT

Moses, with the elders of the people of Israel ascended on Mount Sinai in accordance to the instruction of God. Upon the mountain, they literally saw the form of God and also enjoyed a festal gathering in God’s presence.

Later on, Moses was again instructed, this time, to climb up to the top of the mountain alone. The reason was that he could receive the law and commandments written by God Himself that he may teach God’s people.

At the summit of the mountain was the glory cloud of God in its richness and power. It appeared to the people as a consuming fire, depicting the very nature of God (Heb.12:29).

Although Moses and the elders of Israel were on the same mountain, there was a significant difference in their location. Moses by now was at the mountain top; he had drawn very close to the glory of the Almighty God whilst the rest were some distance afar off.

On the seven days after making his way to the summit, the voice of the Lord came unto him out of the glory cloud (v.16). Moses was invited to enter in the God’s divine presence and, the Bible says, he was enveloped in the glory for forty days and nights.

Can you imagine how such an experience would be like? You talk about soaking up the sunlight in the summer at park or beach. Scientists have researched into some of the essential substances like vitamin D which can be absorbed by the skin at such moments. Yet they also warn about cancer-causing effect that too much of it can lead to.

In contrast, Moses spent forty days and nights continuously basking in the glory of God’s presence. We soaked up the very essence of God. Bear in mind it wasn’t ordinary cloud – it burnt with fire and also gave off smoke.

All this while the fire and smoke of God’s glory was having impact on the physical body of this servant of God. He soaked up so much of God that after he descended from the mountain, the skin of his face was radiating with the light of the glory.

What was the key to such an awesome experience? It was simply sincere hunger and thirst for God’s glory. In his first encounter with God, famously dubbed as the burning bush experience, he wasn’t allowed to draw near this same glory (Exodus 3:5).

But as He pressed in for God, even threatening to halt the journey to the Promised Land without God’s presence, his spiritual hunger and thirst were eventually satisfied. The truth is; no matter the number of our experiences with God, we can never come to a place of full satisfaction. There is always so much more of God that we haven’t tapped into.

So much more of His love, grace, mercy, goodness, gifting and anointing – all of which are available to us only if we would press in for them. What is the intensity of your spiritual hunger and thirst? How much of God are you craving for? Begin to pant after God as never before because that is the key to fulfilment in all aspects of life.

Grace unto you,

Osei Barnie