God has a secret for you!

“The secret of the LORD is with those who fear Him, And He will show them His covenant.” (Psalms 25:14 NKJV)

Wow, the “secret of the LORD!” A secret is defined as something confidential, undisclosed, unknown, private, hidden, concealed, or invisible!

How would you like to know God’s secret? 

According to this verse you can! And it tells you how! “The secret of the Lord is with those who fear the LORD.”

So, what does it mean to “fear” the LORD?

It’s not what you think, because the kind of “fear” the Bible is talking about in this passage is different than the kind of fear we normally think about such as fright, alarm, panic, anxiety, terror, or trepidation; this kind of fear is “cast out by love” (1 John 4:18). But there is another kind of fear that is good, the “fear of the Lord,” which has a different definition. This kind of fear brings positive results!

What does the Bible mean by the fear of the LORD?

The main Hebrew and Greek words for fear in the Bible can have several shades of meaning, but in the context of the fear of the Lord, they convey a positive reverence.

The Hebrew verb yare can mean “to fear, to respect, to reverence” and the Hebrew noun yirah “usually refers to the fear of God and is viewed as a positive quality. This fear acknowledges God’s good intentions (Ex. 20:20). … This fear is produced by God’s Word (Ps. 119:38; Prov. 2:5) and makes a person receptive to wisdom and knowledge (Prov. 1:7; 9:10)” (Warren Baker and Eugene Carpenter, The Complete Word Study Dictionary: Old Testament, 2003, pp. 470-471).

The Greek noun phobos can mean “reverential fear” of God, “not a mere ‘fear’ of His power and righteous retribution, but a wholesome dread of displeasing Him” (Vine’s Complete Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words, 1985, “Fear, Fearful, Fearfulness).” This is the type of positive, productive fear Luke describes in the early New Testament Church:

“Then the churches throughout all Judea, Galilee, and Samaria had peace and were edified. And walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, they were multiplied.” (Acts 9:31 NKJV, emphasis added).

One resource includes this helpful summary: “The fear of God is an attitude of respect, a response of reverence and wonder. It is the only appropriate response to our Creator and Redeemer” (Nelson’s NKJV Study Bible, 1997, note on Psalm 128:1).

The promise verse at the top says that if you fear the Lord (and you now know what that means) “He will show you His covenant!” And, that is wonderful news! A “covenant” is a contract, agreement, undertaking, commitment, guarantee, warrant, pledge, promise, bond, indenture; pact, deal, settlement, arrangement, understanding!

Look at these “fear of God promises” you get

  • Fountain of life

“The fear of the LORD is a fountain of life, that one may turn away from the snares of death.” (Prov. 14:27 ESV)

  • Blessing

“Praise the LORD! How blessed is the man who fears the LORD, Who greatly delights in His commandments.” (Psalm 112:1 NASB)

  • Wisdom

“The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom.” (Prov. 9:10a NASB)

  • Knowledge

“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge.” (Prov. 1:7a NASB)

  • Confidence

“In the fear of the LORD is strong confidence: and his children shall have a place of refuge. (Prov. 14:26 KJV)

  • Mercy

“And his mercy is on them that fear him from generation to generation.” (Luke 2:50 KJV)

  • Needs met

“O fear the LORD, ye his saints: for there is no want to them that fear him.” (Psalms 34:9 KJV)

  • Prolonged life

“The fear of the LORD prolongs life, But the years of the wicked will be shortened.” (Prov. 10:27 NASB)

  • Rescues you

“The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear Him, And rescues them.” (Psalms 34:7 NASB)

  • Fulfills your desires

“He will fulfill the desire of those who fear Him; He will also hear their cry and will save them.” (Psalms 145:19 NASB)

Mike French
Forgive and be forgiven!

“For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.” (Matt. 6:14 NIV)

There are many examples of forgiveness in both the old and new testaments, here are a few.

Old Testament: Esau forgave his brother Jacob, who had taken his birthright. Joseph forgave his ten brothers who had sold him into slavery. (Gen. 50:19)

New Testament: Steven, the first martyr, forgave those who were stoning him (Acts 7:60). The father of the prodigal son forgave him. (Luke 15:11-32)

Our Example

The most extraordinary example of forgiveness is from Jesus, Himself, who from the cross cried out, “Father forgive them; for they know not what they do!” (Luke 23:34 KJV)

Not easy but correct 

It can be very difficult sometimes to forgive those who have wronged you, but it is always the right thing to do. Our example is God himself. We are to be merciful to others as He is to us!

Therefore…

“Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful.” (Luke 6:36 ESV)

“Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.” (Eph. 4:32 ESV)

“And whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father also who is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.” (Mark 11:25 ESV)

Mike Frenchbible promises, forgive, forgiven
Forgive and be forgiven!

“For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.” (Matt. 6:14 NIV)

There are many examples of forgiveness in both the old and new testaments, here are a few.

Old Testament: Esau forgave his brother Jacob, who had taken his birthright. Joseph forgave his ten brothers who had sold him into slavery. (Gen. 50:19)

New Testament: Steven, the first martyr, forgave those who were stoning him (Acts 7:60). The father of the prodigal son forgave him. (Luke 15:11-32)

Our Example

The most extraordinary example of forgiveness is from Jesus, Himself, who from the cross cried out, “Father forgive them; for they know not what they do!” (Luke 23:34 KJV)

Not easy but correct 

It can be very difficult sometimes to forgive those who have wronged you, but it is always the right thing to do. Our example is God himself. We are to be merciful to others as He is to us!

Therefore…

“Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful.” (Luke 6:36 ESV)

“Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.” (Eph. 4:32 ESV)

“And whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father also who is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.” (Mark 11:25 ESV)

Mike French
You're "good news" partners!

“for you have been my partners in spreading the Good News about Christ from the time you first heard it until now.” (Phil. 1:5 NLT)

Notice that this verse says, “from the time you first heard it.” They were immediately able to share about Christ from the beginning of their knowledge of Him!

Tell what happened to you!

You don’t have to be a great theologian to share Christ! All you need to do is tell your story. And, every Christian has their own story to tell. Someone put it this way, “Sharing your faith is like one beggar telling another beggar where to find bread!” It is really as simple as that, or should be!

The blind man could see!

The Bible tells about a blind man who was healed by Jesus and was questioned about it by some negative religious leaders. He didn’t have any religious answers for them and only told what had happened to him. It was a powerful statement that stopped their argument.

He said, “But I know this: I was blind, and now I can see!” (John 9:25 NLT)

It’s difficult for anyone to argue against someones’s real and personal experience. That’s why personal testimonials are so powerful. And, that’s why you should freely share yours. It has the potential to change lives!

Therefore…

“Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have.” (1 Peter 3:15 NIV)

Quotes:

“The unbelieving world should see our testimony lived out daily because it just may point them to the Savior.” Billy Graham

“That is what it means to be saved. You declare that you belong to another system of things. People point to you and say, “Oh, yes, that is a Christian family; they belong to the Lord!” That is the salvation which the Lord desires for you, that by your public testimony you declare before God, “My world has gone; I am entering into another.”Watchman Nee

Mike Frenchbible promises, testimonial, sharing christ
God grants an inheritance and fills your treasury

“I walk in the way of righteousness, in the paths of justice, granting an inheritance to those who love me, and filling their treasuries.” (Prov. 8:20-21 ESV)

A mad search for diamonds

Over a hundred years ago, Dr. Russell Herman Conwell traveled the United States telling and retelling the following fantastic story.

“During the years when diamonds were first being discovered in Africa, a farmer was intrigued by the promise of great wealth. Only one thing stood in his way. His farm had to be sold before he could set off in search of the diamonds that would make him a wealthy man. At last the deal was done and he was free. Free to pursue his dream.

The search was long and painful. Trekking mile after weary mile across deserts and plains, through jungles and mountain passes, the farmer searched for the elusive diamonds. But none could be found.

Finally, penniless, sick, and utterly depressed, he took his own life by throwing himself into a raging river.

A strange looking stone

Back home, the man who had bought the farm carefully tilled the land. One day as he was planting a crop, he came across a strange-looking stone. Carrying it to the farmhouse, he placed it on the mantel.

A visitor to the farmer’s home saw the unusual stone over the fireplace, examined it, then turned to the new owner of the farm and said, “You have found one of the largest diamonds ever known to man.” Further investigation revealed that the entire farm was literally covered with similar magnificent stones. The farm sold by the first farmer turned out to be one of the richest, most productive diamond mines in the world.”

It could have been different for him! 

After reading the above story, I thought what a difference his life would have been had he known and applied the following promise by faith.

“The Lord your God will make you abundantly prosperous in all the work of your hand, in the fruit of your womb and in the fruit of your cattle and in the fruit of your ground. For the Lord will again take delight in prospering you…” (Deut. 30:9a ESV)

Therefore…

“For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich.” (2 Cor. 8:9 ESV)

“The blessing of the Lord makes rich, and he adds no sorrow with it.” (Prov. 10:22 ESV)

“Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers. The wicked are not so, but are like chaff that the wind drives away.” (Psalms 1:1-4 ESV)

“As for the rich in this present age, charge them not to be haughty, nor to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy. They are to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, thus storing up treasure for themselves as a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is truly life.” (1 Tim. 6:17-19 ESV)

Mike Frenchbible promises, god blesses, god’s inheritance
Approach God with freedom and confidence!

“In him and through faith in him we may approach God with freedom and confidence..” (Eph. 3:12 NIV)

Check out the above passage a word or two at a time with defining scriptures added to clarify each part.

In Him –  “… there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.” (Acts 4:12b NIV)

and through faith in Him – “If you declare with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”  (Rom. 10:9 NIV)

we may approach God – “Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.” (Heb. 4:16 NKJV)

with freedom – “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death.” (Rom. 8:1-2 NIV) “So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.” (John 8:36 ESV)

and confidence – “This is the confidence which we have before Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.” (1 John 5:14 NASB) “For the LORD will be your confidence and will keep your foot from being caught.” (Prov. 3:26 ESV)

Therefore…

“For whenever our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and he knows everything. Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence before God;” (1 John 3:20-21ESV)

“So we can confidently say, “The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?” (Heb. 14:6 ESV)

Mike Frenchbible promises, approach god, freedom and confidence
How to keep from deceiving yourself

“Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.” (James 1:22 NIV)

Go ahead and do it

While attending a business seminar, the speaker said repeatedly, “If you do this you will be successful,” and he gave many examples of people who had achieved much success following his tried and proven business methods.

There soon will be lots of new millionaires

I looked around the conference room and saw that there were lots of people present. I thought, “Wow, there soon will be lots of new millionaires when they get back home and start using this great information!”

Most won’t!

After the seminar was completed I approached the speaker to thank him for his helpful presentation. I said, “I bet you feel great having helped so many people today become more successful.” He laughed and said, “If only they would actually do what I show them, but sadly, most of them won’t! I see many of these same people repeatedly at my seminars, I tell them the same thing each time, and nothing ever changes with them! They take mountains of notes, but never do the stuff!”

It boils down to this

It does you absolutely no good to know the right information, if you fail to put it to work! 

Even though this was a secular business presentation, I know a lot of Christians exactly like this. They keep “listening and learning” but never “doing.”

Look at today’s verse again, “Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.” (James 1:22 NIV).

So, where is the promise?

Simple, whenever you find a warning or command in the Bible, think about what it says and then do the positive thing that it teaches. In this case, you can avoid being deceived by obeying the following command: “Do not merely listen to the word, do what it says.”

Therefore…

“So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin.” (James 4:17 ESV)

“And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.” Gal. 6:9 ESV)

Mike Frenchbible promises, don’t deceive yourself, be a doer
The Word of God is sharper than a double-edged sword!

“For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.” (Heb. 4:12 NIV)

Living and active!

The word of God is described in the above passage as “living and active.” The word living means “being alive, not dead” and the word active means, “doing things that require physical movement and energy.”

Powerful when mixed with faith!

I remember being told early on in my Christian life, “the Word of God does the work of God!” How true! The Word of God is very much alive and active, and when mixed with faith (Heb. 4:2), it has the amazing ability to “move mountains” (Matt. 17:20). “Mountains” in your life could represent things that look too large or even impossible for you to do, but nothing is too big for the “living and active Word of God.”

Therefore…

“If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.” (John 15:7 NASB)

Mike Frenchbible promises, word of god, bible, sharper, two edged sword, sword
God blesses you to bless others

“I will make you into a great nation. I will bless you . . . and you will be a blessing to others.” (Genesis 12:2 NLT)

Look for ways He can bless you to bless others

Pay attention to God’s guidance and provision. 

It was green, it was ugly, it was a blessing! 

A few years ago, my wife and I were living in a neighborhood with lots of young families. One day, my next-door neighbor mentioned to us that a family down the street from us had just lost the use of their refrigerator which had just broken beyond repair. They had several young children and the man was between jobs. Not having a working refrigerator was a severe hardship for them.

As soon as I knew about their refrigerator problem, I prayed and asked God to help them get a replacement. I didn’t have money to help them so praying was all I could do for them at the time.

Later, that afternoon, I was running some errands that took me to a local berry farm. As I was waiting to speak to the owner, I overheard a young field worker tell him she wasn’t feeling well and needed to go home. He told her he didn’t have anyone available to take her. So, I spoke up and offered to take her home. As soon as we arrived to her home her mother came outside to greet us and thanked me. I noticed a refrigerator sitting on their front porch and asked why it was there. She told me they had just remodeled their kitchen and it was the wrong color, so they purchased a new one. She said this one worked great but it was forest green and just needed to be taken away. I told her about the family who needed one and she was very delighted to offer it. I backed my truck up to her porch and she helped me load it. I then drove to my neighbor’s house and they were not home. I found someone nearby to help me unload it in their driveway. Later, they got home and was thrilled to find it! It was a miracle they said! Not only was it the perfect size, but it was the perfect color for their kitchen! They always wanted a forest green one! 

God will make you a blessing for others

God told Abraham, “I will make you into a great nation. I will bless you and make you famous, and you will be a blessing to others” (Genesis 12:2 NLT). This is the first law of blessing: it must flow outwardly.

God will bless you for blessing others

God blesses the person who helps other people. In fact, Jesus guarantees this blessing. He said, “I tell you the truth . . . no one who has left home or wife or brothers or parents or children for the sake of the kingdom of God will fail to receive many times as much in this age and, in the age to come, eternal life.” (Luke 18:29-30 NIV)

Therefore…

“In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.” (Matt. 5:16 ESV)

“Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.” (Phil. 2:3-4 ESV)

“And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work. As it is written, “He has distributed freely, he has given to the poor; his righteousness endures forever.” He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness. You will be enriched in every way to be generous in every way, which through us will produce thanksgiving to God.” (2 Cor. 9:8-11 ESV)

Mike French