We Have a Rich, Abundant Life in Christ – (Proverbs 22:4-6)
Daily Proverbs
Daily Bible Study
These verses show us one of the keys to a rich and abundant life, and those are humility and the fear of the Lord. In these passages and others like it the idiom "fear of the Lord" does not mean to be afraid of God. Rather, it means to honor, respect, love and follow the Lord. It also means to have reverence for the Lord, because He is God. It means to have a deep down love, awe and respect for God and let Him be sovereign over our lives. Therefore, to truly have "fear the Lord" means we need to have a relationship with God through Christ. And this is truly the secret to a happy and fulfilled life as well as a close and loving family. This means having a relationship with regular communication through prayer and the study of God's word. This means the key to an abundant life and a meaningful relationship with God, is a relationship with Jesus! Because it's only through Jesus and our faith in Him, that we can come before a Holy God and call Him Father.
God's salvation is a free gift. It cannot be earned, and it can only come from faith in Jesus and accepting Him as our Lord and Savior. And when we do this, when we have a relationship with God through Christ, regular fellowship with God will follow. And it's from that relationship with God through Jesus that we understand the blessings we have in Him and the honor of our adoption as children of God. In addition, with our salvation, we gain the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, who guides us away from the things of this fallen dark world, which is at enmity with God. It's through the study of God's word and the work of the Holy Spirit on our hearts and minds, that the Lord helps us to raise our children in a godly home. And why is that? Because it creates a home focused on mercy, grace and compassion, and because it creates families focused on the Lord and His word. Therefore, we must understand Satan and this dark world will work extremely hard to destroy and redefine the family, why? Because it's one of the most effective ways to keep people from coming to faith in Christ Jesus our Lord. Satan and this fallen world know if they can destroy the family, it will increase the likelihood that a person will reject Jesus and seek after the things of this world.