Out Of Proportion

Read: Psalm 111

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. —Psalm 111:10

I’ll never forget the time I had my picture taken with Shaquille O’Neal, one of the giants of professional basketball. I never thought of myself as short until I stood next to his 7’1″ frame. With my head tucked under his arm, I suddenly realized that I wasn’t as tall as I thought I was, at least not when standing next to the Shaq!

The psalmist wrote, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom” (111:10). Fearing God requires that we get things in the proper proportion, like the fact that He is so much greater in every way than we are. “The works of the Lord are great” (v.2). They are the outworking of His love, strength, wisdom, foresight, will, and faithfulness. Fearing God means coming to grips with this truth.

But it’s easy to miss the point when we don’t stay close to God. The closer we get to Him, the more we realize how much we are lacking, and how desperately we need His far greater wisdom to direct our lives. Left to our little selves, we get everything out of sync. If we’re honest, we have to admit that our limited perspective is often wrong and sometimes can be destructive.

Wise people realize how little they know and how much they need the great wisdom of God.

Great works, Jehovah, You have wrought,Exceeding deep Your every thought;A foolish man knows not their worth,Nor he whose mind is of the earth.  —Psalter

The wise will recognize their limitations and God’s unlimited power.

by Joe Stowell

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE

“Remember His marvelous works which He has done, His wonders, and the judgments of His mouth”

(Psalm 105:5, NKJV)

TODAY’S WORD from Joel and Victoria

Anything can become routine if we let it. Anything can feel mundane after a while.

Not long ago, I was talking to a professional baseball player. He has been in the big leagues about fifteen years. His life seems so exciting, far from routine, far from ordinary. He said, “No, Joel, it’s not what you think. We travel all the time. We’re always on the road, in hotels, eating out and away from our family.”

The truth is that I’m sure he was excited about it all when he first started. There are probably things in your life that you were once excited about. When God opened the door and gave you that new job, that promotion, you were so excited. You called your friends. You knew it was God’s favor. Well, don’t let the passion wear off just because you’ve had it five years! When you met that person and fell in love you were on cloud nine. You knew it was God’s goodness. Don’t take it for granted. Remember what God has done! Stir up the joy in your heart. Stir up praise. Thank Him for His faithfulness and let your attitude of gratitude pave the way to live the life of blessing He has for you!

A PRAYER FOR TODAY

Father God, right now I take time to remember and acknowledge Your goodness in my life. I praise You because You are good. Thank You for loving me, thank You for setting me free. Thank You for pouring out Your blessings on me and leading me into everlasting life in Jesus’ name. Amen.

— Joel & Victoria Osteen