Devotional Day 23

Scripture

Acts 19:31

Then the church throughout Judea, Galilee and Samaria enjoyed a time of peace and was strengthened. Living in the fear of the Lord and encouraged by the Holy Spirit, it increased in numbers.

Devotional

One of the common misconceptions about the fear of the Lord is that it was only for Old Testament believers - and yet here we read that the early church lived in the fear of the Lord. What I love about this is that it makes so much sense of the culture within the early church that we read in Acts. The church experienced miracles, wonders and signs, they would listen to the teaching of the Apostles even though they preached for six hours, they were completely dead to the world - sharing their possessions and wealth amongst themselves and were even faithful to the point of death. They excelled in wisdom, humility, power and friendship with God. They did’t mess around with sin, they weren’t caught up in the world and they all wanted more of the Lord. Wow - what a powerful picture of what true christianity looks like! Everything we’ve been talking about this week, all of the benefits of the fear of the Lord, were being experienced by the early church - because they lived in the fear of the Lord.

It’s really encouraging for us to see just how impacting it can be to truly fear God, and not just for one person, but an entire community. We can so often read Acts and wonder ‘how were they like that?’, ‘I don’t know if I could live like that’… But, oh what it would be like to experience a move of God like this, where we and the people around us so lived in holy fear and the encouragement of the Holy Spirit that our every day was filled with glory, fellowship and the wonderful presence of the Lord!

I want to encourage you today to embrace the fear of the Lord, and live in it. Let’s have such an awareness of the holiness, power and majesty of God that our every waking moment is lived in reverence and submission to him. It can be a challenge to break out of our comfort zones, lay down our idols, stop living for our own ambitions and the comforts of this life and pursue God with this much fervor, and yet - what abundant life awaits us in the kingdom of God, if we would choose to be a part of it like this!

In a generation obsessed with revival, most seem to have no idea about how to properly experience it, or what it even really is. It’s not bigger meetings or numerical growth, nor can it be reduced to emotional or even powerful moments in a christian meeting - it’s a people gripped with the fear of the Lord, suddenly experiencing the tangible presence of the risen Lord, which results in people wanting to meet around the Lord all the time, give everything for the kingdom, repent of sin, pursue holiness and have such an insatiable hunger for God that they would not be able to get enough of the word - it’s where fellowship is around Christ, not worldly ambitions or even ministry growth - but the Lord himself. It’s where even after the meeting is over, people want to stay in the presence of God, talking about Jesus, worshipping and praying together, and seeing this hunger for the Lord continue at all times!

If we as a generation want a genuine move of God like this, we must embrace the fear of the Lord - humbling ourselves before him, repenting of our sin, living in obedience to Jesus and passionately pursuing his heart. Even if no-one else around you is going after the Lord this way, He’s available to you. Embrace the fear of the Lord and give absolutely everything in your heart and life to have him.

Prayer

Lord, I want more of you! I believe that there’s more to Christianity than routine attendance, struggling and spiritual disappointment. I’m hungry for you Lord and I want to experience your glory. Lord - I repent, I come before you with a broken and contrite heart, I’m sorry for settling with less than what you have created me for, I’m sorry with choosing sin over you, I’m going all out now Lord, I’m putting all my eggs in this one basket and putting all my cards on the table. Today Lord - I’m going all in on my relationship with you, nothing held back, not even my pride, I repent Lord, I submit it all to you. Give me a fresh outpouring of your Holy Spirit today Lord!