Fear of the Lord: Healing - Tuesday Praise & Pray (for others) March 8, 2022

Fear of the Lord continues to be our topic this week. So far, we've seen that the fear of the Lord is not a mere term, it's a lifestyle that reflects obedience for the laws of God. We've learned that it brings blessings, praises, favor, and long life. We've confronted the fact that those who are stiff-necked or stubborn cannot claim the blessings that result from fearing the Lord.

Today, we touch upon another benefit of living lives that reflect a reverence for the King of kings. It is contained in Malachi 4:2 - But for you who revere my name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its rays. And you will go out and frolic like well-fed calves.

The fear of the Lord brings healing.

Healing is a blessing the Lord wants for all His children. Indeed, He doesn't want to deprive us of any good thing (Psalm 84:11). One way to guarantee a life that enjoys the Lord's healing is to walk in fear of Him. This means, as we've noted previously, to put His word and laws first. To live by them and live up to them. It requires we read our Bible everyday and allow the Lord to mold us into the people He created us to be. That way we also fulfill His desire for us here on earth.

The blessing of healing is not just for the individual who displays this trait alone. Remember the Lord has created an opportunity whereby everything that concerns a child of God will be touched by Him (Psalm 138:8). Think of the story of Lot and Abraham. God promised to bless Abraham and He did. His nephew, Lot, also enjoyed from those blessings according to Genesis 13:6 - But the land could not support them while they stayed together, for their possessions were so great that they were not able to stay together. Lot's wealth was a direct result of being in close proximity to his uncle. Therefore, not only can a faithful believer receive healing for their fear of the Lord but so also those they intercede for.

So it is for those who are blessed by the Lord, they are able to lift up others to His glory.

And God didn't say He'd only heal our mortal bodies. His healing is all encompassing, touching the mind, spirit, and soul. In His generosity, the Lord's blessing of healing extends to the very environment we are in. After all, we know God has promised to heal the land if as in 2 Chronicles 7:14, His people "will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways..." To be humble before Him (or fast), to pray and seek Him. Those are all aspects of walking in obedience to the Lord God Almighty and one reward for that is healing of the very land.

There's so much riding on our capacity to live lives of holy dread for the Father. If you haven't started the journey toward becoming a child of God who revers Him, it is not too late to do so today. Consider the benefits listed above. They are but a fraction of what is available to you. Consider the negative consequences as well. Proverbs 28:14 - Blessed is the one who fears the LORD always, but whoever hardens his heart will fall into calamity (ESV). May the Lord guide us and grant us grace to live lives that consistently reflect fear for Him and Him alone, IJMN, Amen.