Therefore thou shalt keep the commandments of the LORD thy God, to walk in his ways, and to fear him. –Deut. 8:6

Believers once knew what it meant to fear God. Men like John Huss and John Wycliffe willingly faced death for refusing to denounce their faith, knowing that God had warned, “If you deny me before men, I will deny you before my Father.”

Men like Jim Elliot and Nate Saint refused to use their guns against the attacking natives, believing that dying for Christ was far more important than killing unbelievers who would never have another chance at salvation. But this kind of reverence for God and His gospel is rare today.

Today, the church is not only losing its  testimony—it is no longer living up to it. Warren Wiersbe writes in his book, The  Integrity Crisis, these sharp and painful words:

For nineteen centuries the church has been telling the world to admit and confess its sins. Today, in the twilight of the twentieth century, the world is  telling the church  to face up to its sins and to begin living what it preaches.

I might add that is true for us in the twenty-first century!  For hundreds of years, men have stood firm in the gospel despite being persecuted, laughed at, and at times, slaughtered. But a shift has taken place. Now, not only do Christians shy away from persecution and hardship, questioning God in the midst of it, but their lives are full of sin, hiding under the cloak of religion rather than living up to their testimony.

Part of the problem is rooted in our shamefully low viewpoint of God. When we hear truth from God’s Word, we are convicted but not changed; we are challenged but not converted.

It naturally follows that an inferior view of God will birth a shallow view of His Word.

Today, the Bible is not only being questioned and debated, but it is being disobeyed. Why? The fear of the Lord is no longer before our eyes. Christ has become an after-thought, rather than an all-consuming thought.

Reverence for the things of God takes a back seat today in the public arena.  The crowd who claim the name of Christ but float downstream in the current of popular culture find their lives swirling in the eddy of religious pluralism, inclusivism, and universalism— spiraling rapidly downward—moving farther and farther away from distinctiveness and purity. 

This crowd becomes the rule. You must choose to be . . . the exception.

Pray for the kind of faith in God  that Abraham had, the kind of purity that Joseph had, and the kind of heart that David had. Pray that God will teach you to fear and love Him, and ask for strength to live an extraordinary life for Him.– Stephen Davey

Known unto God are all his works from the beginning of the world– Acts 15:18

Perhaps you have known, even recently, the unsettling and sorrowful experience of receiving a phone call, or a doctor’s report, or an employer’s notice that delivered unexpected and tragic news — “You have cancer.” “We’re letting you go.” “Your loved one has been in an accident.” No matter what form these moments take in our particular situation, they always remind us of our personal frailty and inability to control the details of our lives.

The great consolation from God’s Word, however, is that God never has such moments. He is never surprised by calamity that befalls us, He is never taken back by sudden tragedy, His plans are never disrupted by the unexpected. In short, He is never at a loss for a solution to any problem…or for the power to implement it… or for the wisdom to make sure it is the right solution.

God knows all His works (and subsequently, obviously, the events those works will be connected with) from the beginning of the world. It is for this reason that God can, and does, give us such rock-solid assurances in the midst of earth-shattering catastrophes. “I will never leave you or forsake you” (Hebrews 13:5); “my grace is sufficient for thee” (2 Corinthians 12:9); “all things work together for good to them that love God” (Romans 8:28); “trying of your faith worketh patience” (James 1:3).

Beloved, in your moments of overwhelming pain, or grief, or disappointment, flee to the God Who is never disappointed or surprised, but is touched by the feelings of your infirmities. Rush to Him, rest in Him, believe on Him.–Baptist Bible Hour