Pastor Stephen Gibson
April 2021
While there are many choices we get to make in April, let’s choose to avoid being April fools. How can be best accomplish that?
Most of us are aware that the book of Proverbs is stuffed with tidbits of wisdom, as well as observations on fools. Over 75 times there is mention of fools or folly in the book’s 31 chapters, far surpassing other Old Testament comments on fools.
So there could be value in spending some time this month in working your way through the wisdom book. A chapter a day nearly fits the number of days in April.
Solomon doesn’t get too far before he declares: The fear of the Lord is the beginning…(1:7). Have you found the beauty in this thought? It’s at the beginning that we need to fear God and give glory to Him; at the beginning of this earth’s history, in the beginning years of our lives, in the beginning of each year, each month, each day, each hour. That’s a prescription guaranteed to prevent foolishness.
Not only does a fear of the Lord come into play at the beginning, but it rises to the top at the end as well. In Revelation 14’s first angel’s message, we are admonished to fear God and give Him glory (v. 7) because it is a time of judgment. Our standing before God is being determined; a verdict is about to be announced.
So how do we prepare to fear God and glorify Him at the end? Is there something to do ahead of time? Absolutely. We need to take to heart Solomon’s counsel that the fear of the Lord is the beginning. If we choose to make that the beginning of our day this month, we will be establishing a healthy habit to continue by God’s grace all our days. Those who opt to make the fear of the Lord their focus day by day will be the ones who can readily recommend it to others along the way and at the end, because typically we react to crisis based on what we do along the way, the habits we develop through time. The crisis may reveal our foundation, but it doesn’t cause us to shift to another foundation. That’s why the decisions we are making today are more important than the decision we will make at the end. Precisely because the decisions we are making this month will hugely impact our decision at the end.
So let’s make April a dress rehearsal for the end. Let’s not join with fools who despise wisdom and the fear of the Lord. Let’s keep the fear of the Lord at the beginning this month and each of it’s days. Let’s join with others who begin this quarter with a Sabbath of prayer and fasting.
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