SPIRITUAL DIARY
Date: 12-11-03
My Worship Time Focus: Fearing the Lord
Bible Reading &
Meditation Reference: 1Peter 1:17
1.
Message of the verse: “17 And if you address as Father the One who
impartially judges according to each man’s work, conduct yourselves in fear
during the time of your stay upon earth;”
(NASB) “17 And remember that the heavenly Father to whom
you pray has no favorites when he judges. He will judge or reward you according
to what you do. So you must live in reverent fear of him during your time as
foreigners here on earth.” (NLT)
Peter is writing to believers and
all believers should call God their Father, so if a person addresses God the
Father as Father then that person must be one of His. Now the judgment that he is writing about is
the “Judgment Seat of Christ,” which is only a family judgment. This judgment will take place in heaven, and
probably after the rapture of the Church while the Tribulation period is happening
on planet earth. In explaining the
meaning of the Greek word that is translated “judgment” Dr. Wiersbe writes, “to
judge in order to find something good,” so this is not a judgment for sins
because that judgment for the believer took place at Calvary. Peter says that God judges impartially, for
He is not a respecter of persons, as Peter says God is looking for us to be
holy just as He is Holy. Peter goes on
to say that believers should conduct themselves in fear while they are
sojourning on this earth. This is a
reverent fear that believers have of the Lord knowing that because our judgment
of sin, cost God’s only Son His life,
then we should realize the seriousness that God looks at sin. Believers now serve God because they love
God, not out of some fear that if they make a mistake and sin that they will be
banished to hell, for if we confess our sins He is faithful and just to forgive
us our sin and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
2.
Spiritual meaning for my life today:
As a born-again believer I cannot rest upon the accomplishments that God
has done through me, but I must continue to seek His perfect will for my life,
keep my life clean from sin, so that I can worship and serve the Lord in the
way that pleases Him. I think of the
last recorded words of Peter in the Bible where he wrote “But grow in grace,
and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both
now and for ever. Amen.” I have read
that there are some animals that continue to grow all of their lives, and this
is my desire spiritually, to grow in the knowledge of the Lord so that I can
continue to worship and serve Him all of my time that I sojourn on this earth.
The Word
of God was refreshing to my heart and it has also challenged my heart to serve
and worship the Lord.
My Steps of Faith Today: To trust the Lord to give me wisdom regarding how to handle
what is going on at our church. To trust
the Lord to give me wisdom to worship Him in the ways that will please
Him. To trust the Lord with the outcome
of Sandy’s test she had yesterday, to trust the Lord regarding our investment
with Andrew Lech, to trust the Lord to give wisdom to both myself in praying
for the salvation of Valerie Martin, and wisdom for Pat McMurtry as she gives
the devotion at Friday’s tea with the ladies, so that the Spirit of the Lord
will use it to bring about salvation to the unsaved ladies that attend.
Memory
verse for the week: 1John 1:9
If we
confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to
cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
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