Wisdom is When We Let God Establishes Our Paths – (Proverbs 19:21, 23)

Daily Bible Study
Before our relationship with God, through our faith in Jesus, we walked according to the course of this world as we were driven by the desires of our sin-nature. Our primary influence was this fallen world which the Apostle Paul tells us is greatly influenced by the, "prince of the power of the air," who is Satan. Therefore, the heart of the natural man is at enmity against God, whereas the heart of the man who follows Jesus, walks on the paths the Lord has established for him. In addition, he walks in the fear of the Lord. As we grow in grace and in the study of God's word we grow in the fear the Lord; however that term has a different meaning for a child of God than it does for someone who does not know Jesus. For us who have placed our faith in Christ this word speaks of love, family and belonging. Whereas for someone who does not know Jesus and in rebellion against God it speaks of judgment.

The phrase, "fear of the Lord" is a Jewish idiom which refers to having a heart toward God. And it refers to a person who has a deep down love, awe, and respect for God, associated with profound admiration and joy for Jesus and what He has done for us! Our faith in Christ, not only leads to eternal life, it also leads to a joyful life now. Moreover, the closer we walk with the Lord the greater satisfaction we will have now in this life. Why? Because through our submission to the guidance of the Holy Spirit, we live a more abundant and joyful life in Christ. In addition, God has given us all that we need to have a close relationship with Him. Therefore, the choice is ours. We can walk closely with God following the guidance of the Holy Spirit through our faith in Jesus, or we can separate ourselves from God, by rejecting the free gift of grace and mercy only Jesus can offer. The choice is ours, but we must remember there is no middle ground, either we are in Christ or we are under condemnation, there is no neutral position. To not stand with Jesus, means to stand against Him.