New Years Resolutions & Gospel Fear

Gospel Fear is a book I read about a year ago by the puritan writer, Jeremiah Burroughs. It was challenging for several reasons, but it has proven to be a very profitable read as many things have reminded me of it. None more than the verse of the day today at the Bible Gateway website.

Psalm 90:12 "Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom."

This was potentially the first chapter of the Bible ever to be written. It was penned by Moses as a prayer to God. I heard a great sermon on this chapter by Steve Lawson a few years ago. I would highly recommend listening to Steve at least periodicly as he can really knock it out of the park. This verse always reminds me of two things. The first is the Clint Eastwood Dirty Harry movie, where Harry says, "A mans got to know his limitations." There is alot of wisdom in that.

The second is even better, Proverbs 1:7, "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline."

I am encouraged when I think of these two verses together. Wisdom is the fear of the Lord; it is the understanding that the Lord has numbered our days, and we are to trust in Him - the source of life and sovereign provider of our every need. A healthy fear of the Lord recognizes that God is sovereign, that He sustains us in our every breath, and that He alone is ultimately trustworthy. A healthy fear of the Lord, not only sees that God is The Creator of all things, but conciously trusts in the totality of God.

To trust in the totality of God means to trust in several things: First, that God is. This means that He is, was, and always will be everywhere all powerful. Jesus Christ is God and the Holy Spirit is God. With our Heavenly Father, they together encompass the trinity. Three in person, One in essence- a difficult teaching, but better understood when looked at closely. Second it means we trust in the inerrancy of Scripture... meaning Scripture is perfect, complete, and flawless. The implication is that God's decree's, commands, and laws should be followed and obeyed in totality; and that, though we are sinners condemned to Hell, God has graciously saved us from eternal damnation through the life, death, and resurrection of His Son. Finally, this means that we are daily trusting in His guidance by living in a way consistant with the lessons we have learned from His Word. This means we are praying our way through our lives, constantly giving over to Him our decisions, trials, temptations, and the credit for our victories.

Personally, I fail at this all the time. I am constantly trusting in my own ability, my own strength, my own wisdom. I am a fool to do this.

But the point is this. Here we are in 2008, and often we make our New Years Resolutions. These last for a few weeks and then we fail. This year, I would like to suggest that we make it our aim to trust in the Lord; to grow in our understanding of what it means to fear Him.

Romans 11:33-36 Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways beyond finding out! “ For who has known the mind of the LORD? Or who has ever been His counselor?” “ Or who has first given to Him that it shall be repaid to him?” For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things, to Him be glory forever. Amen.