Job 34:7 What man is like Job, who drinketh up scorning like water?

Elihu is bringing to our attention an interesting characteristic of Job. In this passage we are told that Job receives scorning. There is much we can learn about the attitude of Job. Most of us when we hear others say bad things about us, we tend to attack back so as to justify ourselves.

In this passage, Elihu is not saying that Job is receiving nourishment because of the scorning. Job is not some sort of unusual character whose highlight of every day is receiving abuse from others. What Elihu is saying is that Job is refusing to defend himself when others say evil or untrue things about him.

When Jesus Christ was on the earth, there were many times when others made many false accusations about HIM. Rather than answer the fools according to their folly, Jesus Christ demonstrated great strength by keeping HIS mouth shut.

Jesus Christ is not the only person in the Bible who teaches us by their example to not always respond to criticism that you receive. Scripture tells us that Noah was a preacher of righteousness. This tends to indicate that while Noah was building the ark, he was preaching the truth to those around him about what God was going to do. Noah had faith that God was going to bring a flood and even though no one believed him, Noah did not allow the opinions of others to affect him from keeping his focus upon the perfect will of God.

When Absalom was attempting to take the throne away from his father David, Shimei came out to curse David. David’s could have had Shimei killed on that very spot. In fact, that is what some of David’s men desired to do. However, David did not know what God was trying to do in his life and as such, David chose to remain quiet and let Shimei say all sorts of untrue things.

When different people thought that they should lead the nation of Israel rather than Moses, Moses did not rush out and try to defend his position. Instead, Moses knew that it was God who appointed him to the job that he was doing so Moses simply turned the problem over to God and allowed God to take care of the problem. Moses did not have to defend his reputation but he simply allowed God to demonstrate to the people HIS perfect will.

When we are in the center of God’s will, we do not need to be quick to defend our reputation. If we fear man, then when someone says something that we believe is wrong about us, we are going to be quick to defend ourselves. However, when we fear the Lord and we understand that we are accountable to God and that HE is the ultimate Judge, then we do not always need to give a response to every rumor that others say about us.

It is hard to keep quiet when your reputation is on the line. You think if you keep silent that others will think that you are weak. People do strange things all the time and they may be saying stupid things so as to cause you to react. By ignoring the scorner, you may actually be showing more strength than weakness because you are demonstrating self-control.

Just because someone says something untrue about you, it does not mean that you need to respond. Instead of responding, you should hold your peace and wait and make sure that if you do speak, you speak the words that are glorifying to God. Use the situation to remind you that Jesus was falsely accused and HE did not answer HIS accusers.

Job 28:28 And unto man he said, Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil is understanding.

Have you ever asked the Lord for wisdom? Most likely you had an important decision to make and you did not know how to handle the situation. Maybe it was a question as to whether you should move and you cried out to God for wisdom. Maybe it was a question about how to handle a difficult decision regarding one of your children and you cried out to God for wisdom. Maybe it was a question as to whether you should marry someone and you cried out to God for wisdom.

In this passage, Job tells us that the fear of the Lord is wisdom. Solomon told us that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. This is a very important principle that we need to understand. If we want wisdom from God, then our lives should first demonstrate that we have the fear of the Lord in our lives.

Look at your life, do you fear the Lord? The fear of the Lord means that you understand that God is looking at your actions, your words, and your thoughts. If you have the fear of the Lord in your life, then you are going to be careful with what you do so that you do not sin against a Holy God. The application of the fear of the Lord in your life is that you chose not to sin, not because of what your mother or father would think but because of what God would think.

As a child, you feared the wrath of your parents if they caught you doing something wrong. Maybe you would receive a spanking or you would be grounded. The fear of your parents may have been one of those things that kept you from doing many things that would have been damaging to your life.

The same fear that affected your behavior as a child should be in your life today. Maybe you do not fear what your parents would think now that you are a grown adult, but you should fear what God is going to do if you sin and fall short of the glory of God. Jesus commanded us that we should not fear man who can only kill the body, instead we should fear God who can kill the body and the soul.

You may not be able to see God with your naked eye, but that does not mean that HE cannot see you. God saw the rebellion of Korah and had the ground open up and swallow them alive. God saw the pride of Nebuchadnezzar and HE had him eat grass as a cow for seven years. God saw the disobedience of the inhabitance of Babel and HE changed their language and dispersed them as HE had commanded. God saw Jonah run in the opposite direction and HE caused a severe storm to overtake the ship and then prepared a great fish to swallow Jonah.

We serve a God who sees all and knows all. It is because of who HE is, that we should fear HIM. This does not mean that we act like a coward in a corner afraid of our own shadow. No. The fear of the Lord means that we constantly ask ourselves if what we are doing is pleasing to the Lord. The fear of the Lord means that when someone asks us to do something that is not pleasing to the Lord, that we decline because we are more afraid of what God thinks of us than our friends.

It is not easy living in the fear of the Lord. There will be many people who think that you are crazy for some of your decisions. However, when you are living with the fear of the Lord in your life, you understand that you are not living for the approval of man but the approval of God. By patiently serving God and fearing HIM, HE will direct your paths and give you wisdom.

Job 23:15 Therefore am I troubled at his presence: when I consider, I am afraid of him.

Is the fear of the Lord in your life? Do you change your actions, words, and thoughts because you are afraid of what God might think?

Have you ever seen a guy who recently fell in love with a young woman? The guy likes his girl so much that he is very careful about looking at another girl lest his girl become jealous of him. He knows that even a small slip of the eyes may cause their relationship to stumble.

In the same way that the lover changed his behavior because of his love for her, so likewise, we need to change our behavior because of our love for God. We should be afraid that if we allow our tongue to slip, that God will not be happy with our lives.

Have you ever been grateful that other people cannot read your mind? You have allowed thoughts to go through your mind that if other people could read, you would be ashamed. However, these same thoughts that you do not want others to read are the same thoughts that God can read. While your friends and family could become angry if they knew your thoughts, why is it that you do not think twice about what God thinks of your thoughts?

Scripture tells us that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. Scripture also tells us that the fear of the Lord is to hate evil. It is easy to pretend that having the love of the Lord in your life changes you; it is a different matter all together when you fear the Lord and your life is in fact changes.

Why was it that Abraham was willing to take his only son Isaac up into the mountain and sacrifice him? Abraham was sure that God was not going to have him go through with the sacrifice because he told his servants that they would be back and he told his son that God would provide the sacrifice. However, God did not provide the sacrifice and Abraham found himself placing his son upon the altar.

Abraham feared the Lord more than he feared Sarah his wife. If Abraham sacrificed his only son on the altar, could you imagine just how upset Sarah would have been? Abraham knew and understood the voice of God and because of his relationship with God, the most important thing in his mind was living his life so that God would be pleased.

Joseph had the opportunity to have a closer relationship with his master’s wife. However, Joseph refused to do what his master’s wife desired him to do but instead, he chose to do what God desired him to do. Because Joseph chose to do what was right in the eyes of God, he lost his position and found himself in prison. However, God was pleased with Joseph and after many years, God raised Joseph up into a position of great influence.

It is not easy living by the fear of the Lord. It is much easier to fear those whom you see on a daily basis rather than fear a God that you only see with your spiritual eyes. Jesus commanded us to fear the Lord because HE is able to destroy both the body and the spirit. There will be many occasions where we desire to do that which is right in our own eyes. We need to fill our mind with the things of God. We need to patiently pray that God will give us the strength to think and say only those things that are pleasing to HIM. The temptation to live according to the ways of the world is strong, but the fear of the Lord can give you the strength to overcome.

Job 15:4 Yea, thou castest off fear, and restrainest prayer before God.

This is the second time that Eliphaz is trying to give advice to Job. Eliphaz is one of Job’s friends who came to comfort him during Job’s extreme trials. During this second conversation that Eliphaz has with Job, he starts out by stating that Job has lost his fear of the Lord. In Eliphaz’ mind, because Job is not admitting that he has sinned, Eliphaz has determined that Job does not even know what sin is or he does not care what is a sin against God.

Eliphaz has determined that there is no way that Job could be suffering so much absent he first sinned against God. Because of Eliphaz’ mistaken belief, he is setting himself up to give some faulty advice. Job has refused to admit that this trial he is facing is a result of some secret sin.

Eliphaz is trying to be Job’s conscience. However, Eliphaz has not actually seen Job do anything wrong and he is simply seeing a mess and assuming that it is Job’s fault. This is akin to a car being smashed between two semi-trucks and a driver who comes by the accident 30 minutes later gets out and tells the driver of the car that it is all his fault. Maybe it is the driver of the automobile’s fault, but then again, maybe it is one of the trucker’s fault.

There are those out in the world who are so committed to their secret sin that they refuse to acknowledge that the activities they are doing is sin. Maybe you have met a Christian who claims that it is permissible to commit fornication because both parties are consenting. This individual has lost any fear of the Lord because they are willing to determine for themselves what is a sin and what is not.

Job is not this super sinner that Eliphaz has made him out to be. Eliphaz has drawn a wrong conclusion which has resulted in him making a very strong accusation that Job does not fear the Lord. It would be one thing to ask Job how his relationship with the Lord is, it is a completely different matter to accuse Job of not living in the fear of the Lord.

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. When we live in the fear of the Lord, we understand that God is watching us and HE knows our every thought, word, and deed. When we fear the Lord, we understand that God is going to judge us one day and we change our actions to live in conformity with how God desires us to live.

Are you living in the fear of the Lord? It is not easy to allow the things of God to direct your every step. Nonetheless, if you want to be living a life that is totally pleasing to God, you will make decisions that God desires you to make.

Think of a young couple who are deeply in love. This couple will do just about anything to cause the other individual to love them. They will wear certain clothes, they will eat certain food, and they will go to certain events just to demonstrate how much love they have for their partner. That is the attitude we should have towards God; we should study God and understand what is important to HIM and then do those things that are pleasing to HIM.

The world will try to distract you with all sorts of interesting things. Nonetheless, you should keep your eyes on the things of God and allow HIM to direct your paths. It will not be easy putting the things of God first, but if you are patient, it will not be too long before you will experience the rewards of living in the fear of the Lord.

Job 13:11 Shall not his excellency make you afraid? and his dread fall upon you?

Is the fear of the Lord in your life? Do you consider what God would think of your actions before you do them? Those who fear the Lord understand that one day they will be held accountable for every word, thought, and action. Because they fear the King of Kings, they allow that fear to change their behavior.

Imagine a person who had a practice of driving 15 miles over the speed limit. Most likely this person would take his foot off the gas pedal if he saw a police officer up the road. This individual may not be afraid to break the law by driving 15 miles over the posted speed limit but at the same time, he has no desire to be pulled over by the police. The fear of getting a ticket and paying a lot of fines will cause the speeder to change his actions for a few minutes.

What if there were a system in place that was watching every driver on the road and the second a person drove over the posted speed limit, the system would deduct money out of your bank account to pay your ticket. The speeder would not be as quick to break the law if he knew no matter what, if he went over the speed limit, he would lose some money.

While this sounds like something out of a science fiction movie, the same fear that a person would have to break the law with such a system in place should be our attitude towards God. We need to understand that God is watching us and HE knows every time we break HIS perfect law. While we may think that we are getting away with breaking HIS perfect law, there are consequences that while we may not immediately know about them, some day these consequences will be evident in our life.

You do not jump off the Sears Tower because you know that there will be consequences for your actions. You do not put your hand on the stovetop burner because you know that there will be consequences. You do not drive your car 100 mph in front of a police officer because you know that there will be consequences.

In the same manner, we should be living our life holy unto the Lord. We need to understand that if we violate HIS perfect law, there will be consequences in our life. We may not know what these consequences are right away but we cannot violate the perfect will of God and escape all types of punishment.

The fear of the Lord should change your life. This means that you do not allow your mind to wonder as everyone else allows their minds to wonder. This means that you must watch the words that you speak because they need to be pleasing unto the Lord.

Job understood that he could not afford to live a life that was displeasing unto the Lord. Because Job feared what God could do, he was faithful to offer sacrifices not only on his own behalf but also on behalf of his children. Job desired to keep a very short account with God.

What would Jesus do if HE were in your situation? This is an important question that we should often ask ourselves. We may not always know what the perfect will of God is, but if we take the time to patiently wait for HIM to speak to us, we can avoid many pitfalls that God never desired us to experience. God has given you a free will to live your life as you see best. Nonetheless, if you do not live your life wisely, there will be consequences for your wrong decisions.

Job 10:16 For it increaseth. Thou huntest me as a fierce lion: and again thou showest thyself marvelous upon me.

Job understands that there are consequences for his sins. Job is replying to Bildad who told Job that the reason he was suffering was because of some sin in his life. Job had a close relationship with God and because of that relationship, Job understood that he was suffering for reasons other than sin in his life. Job did not know why he was suffering, but he knew it was not because of sin. Job may have wanted the suffering to be over, but he understood that his life was in the hands of the Lord.

Job understood that if he was wicked, God would judge. God would not sit by and allow Job to continue to violate HIS perfect law. God would not give up but would continue to go after Job until Job confessed his sin.

Throughout scripture there are many examples of individuals who sinned secretly but God revealed their sin openly. After the battle of Jericho, Joshua led the men in a battle over Ai. However, the men of Ai drove the nation of Israel back and 36 Israelites were killed. Joshua humbled himself before the Lord and the Lord showed that the entire nation did not obtain victory at Ai because of the sin of one man.

When the nation of Israel had defeated Jericho, God had commanded them that the spoils of Jericho belonged to the Lord. Achan had disobeyed the Lord and he had taken some of the spoils of Jericho and hidden it within his tent. When Joshua discovered what Achan had done, Achan lost his life along with his family.

The Law of Moses required that children could not be punished for the sins of their father. However, in this passage we learn that even Achan’s children were killed. It can be assumed that Achan had shown the treasures of Jericho to his family and his family consented to the sin of Achan and thus they also lost their lives.

God did not give the nation of Israel victory over Ai because of the sin of one man. The sin of Achan was against the Lord because Achan took that which belonged to the Lord and kept it for himself. God hunted Achan down and made the sin public so that the entire nation would know and fear the Lord.

The Bible is not a book about perfect people who committed no sin. God reveals to us in the Bible the sins of many individuals and how God dealt with those people. We see David commit adultery and kill and man and we see how God judged him. We see how God judged Ahab and Jezebel. We see how Jacob was a man who deceived his brother so God put him with Laban for 20 years who was constantly changing the wages of Jacob.

Be sure that your sin will find you out. You cannot live your life with sin in your life and escape the wrath of God. We serve a God who knows your actions, your words, and your deepest thoughts. God is going to hold you accountable for every second that you waste putting images before your eyes that are not pleasing to HIM. God is patient like a lion and HE will continue to convict you of your sins regardless of how hard you run. Jonah learned that he could not outrun God and you will be no different. God is not mocked, you will reap according to what you sow. If you sow iniquity, you will not be blessed of the Lord.

Job 2:10 But he said unto her, Thou speakest as one of the foolish women speaketh. What? Shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil? In all this did not Job sin with his lips.

Job’s wife had enjoyed many years of the blessing of God. Now she found herself in the midst of a very severe trial and all she wants to do is give up. Job’s wife just tried to persuade Job to curse God so that he would die. Job’s wife understood who God was. She understood that God heard every word that was spoken by Job. She understood that God judged those who cursed HIM. She knew that the consequence of sin was death. Nonetheless, what Job’s wife did not understand is that the same God who gave them everything they had is the same God who had the right to take it all away.

If you were in the shoes of Job’s wife, how would you have responded? Would you have enough fear of the Lord in your heart to understand that God will judge you if you disobey HIM? Too many of us do not live in fear of the Lord. Instead of living our life so that we do not sin like Job did, we see how close to sin we can get without awakening our guilty conscience.

We see so many people apparently getting away with their sin and we think that we are somehow missing out because we do not get to enjoy life as everyone else seems to enjoy life. It is not our job to compare ourselves with those around us; instead, we need to compare ourselves with a perfect God. We must understand that one day, we will be judged for every thought, action, and word.

Job’s fear of the Lord would not allow him to curse God. Even though he had lost his wealth, his health and his family, Job understood that God had given him everything that he had and God was allowed to take it all away. Job understood that he had to accept both good and evil in this life. No one said that life would be fair, and Job was not about to start cursing God just because some unfair things had happened unto him.

Too many of us act very foolishly when it comes to our relationship with God. We do not appreciate all the good things that God has given to us and when they are taken away, all we do is blame God that our life is not perfect the way we imagined it.

Where in the Bible does it say that you are entitled to a perfect world? Adam and Eve had the opportunity to live in a perfect world but because of their sin, they had to suffer the consequences. While we do not live in a perfect world, we do serve a perfect God who had created the perfect world. While the world is not perfect any more, HE still requires that we live a perfect life. However, we have all sinned and fallen short of HIS perfect will. As such, we all will answer to HIM for our willful violations of HIS law.

We must learn to allow God to be God. We must be patient with HIM and wait patiently to see how HE turns the terrible things that happen to us into HIS glory. When bad things happen to us because we have sinned, we should rejoice knowing that God loves us so much to not allow us to get away with evil. When bad things happen to us because we are righteous, we should rejoice knowing that God turns everything together for good to those who love God. It does not matter whether we are facing good or evil, the most important thing to us should be our relationship with HIM. We must stop acting foolishly and start acting in a way that does not cause us to sin.

Job 1:22 In all this Job sinned not, nor charged God foolishly.

Job was a man who feared the Lord and hated evil. Because of the fear of the Lord in his life, God recognized Job in front of Satan. Satan claimed that the only reason Job feared the Lord was because of God’s blessing on his life. God permitted Satan to test Job and in a matter of minutes, Job lost all of his wealth and his children.

Job did not respond as most of us would have responded. Instead of blaming God and becoming discouraged and depressed, Job worshiped God. Job did not blame God but instead he praised God. Job did not go to God in prayer and ask why, but instead went to God in prayer and acknowledged that God was in control.

Scripture tells us that Job did not sin in his response to God. Scripture tells us that Job did not act foolishly by blaming God for his problems.

Do you really understand what this passage means for your daily life? It means that when something terrible happens, if you allow yourself to be worked up over the unfair things that have happened to you, you have sinned. It means that when you start asking a lot of questions about why God allowed something to happen to you that you are acting foolishly.

The life of Job is to be an example to us of how we are supposed to live so that we do not sin when we face trials. Job was human just like you and me and he desired to be angry with God just like we all would. However, Job understood who God was and he was not going to allow himself to act foolishly just because he was upset. Instead, Job controlled his emotions and he praised God and refused to sin.

Have you ever had someone you love do something stupid in front of you? Maybe what they did made you very angry and you wanted to shout and scream at them. However, rather than get angry at them, you exercised great love and kept your mouth shut. You exercised self-control because of your love for this special person.

This is a picture of what Job did with God. Job loved God so much that he exercised self-control and did not end up blowing up and sinning. If you can love a person so much that you restrain your emotions, why can’t you do the same with God. Why can’t you learn to fear God and the consequences of sinning so that you can restrain the passions of your heart so that you can do the right thing?

When we exercise self-control and allow God to be first in our life, we put ourselves in a position that God can receive the glory for our responses to the trials that we face. By patiently waiting for God to right the last chapter in our life, God can use us to touch the lives of others. Yes we can seek revenge or get back at God for the trial that we face, but when we do that, we are not demonstrating the fear of the Lord and God cannot use us as HE desires to use us.

Do not respond to the trials in your life with raw emotion. Instead, stop and go to the Lord in prayer. Ask God to give you the strength to respond to your trial properly. Learn to praise God rather than blame God. Patiently wait on God and it may be that one day, you will see God work things in such a wonderful way that you have no choice but to give God the glory. God has a way of working all things together for good, give God a chance.

Job 1:12 And the LORD said unto Satan, Behold, all that he hath is in thy power; only upon himself put not forth thine hand. So Satan went forth from the presence of the LORD.

How could God allow Satan to do terrible things to a man who feared the Lord and hated evil? Based upon what scripture tells us about Job, most of us would say that Job was a much more righteous individual then we are. However, even though Job was a man of great faith and lived in the fear of the Lord, God allowed him to be attacked by Satan in a way that would serious shake most of our faith.

Job was a good man and the Lord allowed Satan to attack Job by taking away his family and his wealth. In the matter of just a few minutes, Job loss almost everything of any value. Why would a loving God allow a good man like Job to face that kind of trial?

The problem with most of us is that we focus upon what God did not do for us rather than on what God did do for us. It is really easy to focus upon the negative and not the positive. While God gave Satan a long leash in which to attack Job, God was still looking out for Job and HE did not give Satan permission to touch the health or the person of Job.

It is easy to focus upon the negative and to become discouraged. Some of us will easily fall into depression when God does not give us what we want when we want. We focus our attention on what we do not have and as a result we find it hard to be patient with God let alone sing forth HIS praises.

The thing is, even when things are not going our way, God is often blessing us in some other way. When Joseph was a slave, he found himself the head of Potiphar’s house. When Joseph found himself a prisoner, he found himself second only to the guard. When Daniel found himself a captive in Babylon, he found himself gaining favor with the ruler. When Elijah was hiding from King Ahab, God provided his daily substance. When the nation of Israel was being held in Egypt, God blessed them and allowed them to grow in the best of the land in an area where they did not have to worry about interracial marriages.

Throughout scripture, when someone goes through a great trial, if you look closely, you can find that God was involved in such a way that the person could praise God. It is not always easy to find something to praise God for when you are in the midst of a trial, but that really needs to become our focus. God may allow us to lose someone who is very close to us, but that does not mean that we should curse God. God may allow us to lose our financial security, that does not mean that we should turn our back on God and stop believing in HIM.

One of the reasons why we are told that Job is a patient man is that he did not quickly turn his back on God just because the fortunes of his life had changed. Job was a man who understood the importance of maintaining a right relationship with God. Just because things had changed, that did not mean he had the right to reject the God who had given him the good things to begin with.

The next time something discouraging happens in your life, turn to the Lord in prayer. Seek first the kingdom of God and find things in your life that you can praise God for. If you do not look for the ways God is blessing you in your current trial, you will never find them. If you do not look for the ways God is blessing you, your perspective on life will be backwards.

Job 1:9-10 Then Satan answered the LORD, and said, Doth Job fear God for nought? Hast not thou made an hedge about him, and about his house, and about all that he hath on every side? Thou hast blessed the work of his hands, and his substance is increased in the land.

Satan has appeared before God and God has pointed out to Satan that Job is a righteous man who feared the Lord and hated evil. Satan’s reply is that of course Job fears the Lord because of the way the Lord has protected Job. Satan claims that the only reason Job fears the Lord and hates evil is because God has protected him and blessed him in a spectacular way.

We know that just because God blesses and protects a believer, it does not mean that they fear the Lord and hate evil. Look at the nation of Israel. They saw miracle after miracle of the Lord protecting them and blessing them in a supernatural way. Nonetheless, the nation of Israel did not fear the Lord and hate evil. As soon as Moses was gone for a prolonged period of time, the nation of Israel made a golden calf that they started to worship.

Satan knew that there was something special about the life of Job, but he figured if God would open up the hedge and allow him to attack the personal possessions of Job, then Job would not have as close of relationship with God as he currently had. Satan had seen how Job prayed for his children and surely if he took Job’s children from him, that would cause him to curse God.

Job loved his children in the same way that Abraham loved his son Isaac. Just as Abraham had to go through a test in losing his son Isaac, so also, Job was about to go through a test where he did lose his children whom he loved.

God tests each one of us in different ways. God tested Abraham and Job through their children. In one case God actually allowed the children to die whereas in the other situation God spared the child. You do not have any control over how far you must go to prove your faithfulness to God. God may actually require that you give up the thing that you love and it will be up to HIM whether or not HE actually gives it back to you.

Satan ended up attacking the wealth of Job, the family of Job, and eventually the health of Job. Just because you have seen the protection and blessing of the Lord in a certain aspect of your life, it does not mean that God will not allow you to face trials in those areas in the future. Will you still trust the Lord if HE takes away HIS blessing from certain areas of your life? Will you still trust the Lord if HE stops protecting you in certain areas of your life?

We are told that Job is an example to us of patience. Your character is not proven based upon the good times in your life but instead, it is proven by how we respond to the trials in our life. Just because everything is great and wonderful in our life, it does not mean that we have reached our destination in spiritual growth. Instead, life is like a journey on mountain roads, there will be ups and there will be downs. Our true character will be revealed based upon how we respond to the obstacles that we face in our life.

You may be in the middle of a trial or you may be in the middle of a time of great blessing; regardless of where you are at in your life, you must understand that God is first in your life. You should fear the Lord regardless of whether you are in a trial or a time of great blessing. You should hate evil regardless of whether you are being protected by God or whether your entire life is in turmoil. Do not be a fair-weather friend of God as Satan accused Job of being.

Job 1:8 And the LORD said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is non like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil?

What does God say about you? God is talking to Satan, the one who caused Eve to be discontent with what God had given to her and caused her to desire something that God had forbidden. God is talking to Satan, the one responsible for taking many angels with him during his rebellion. God is talking to Satan, the one responsible for causing many believers to stumble in their relationship with God.

Have you ever wondered what God says to Jesus and the heavenly hosts about you? Maybe you have just won a great spiritual victory or you found your relationship with HIM to have grown. What does God say about you to the heavenly host? Is HE proud of the choices that you have made? Does HE brag about how committed you are to the ways of God?

As much as we all love it when others praises us for doing the right thing, how much more do we desire the praises of God for doing the right thing. Unfortunately, we do not hear what God is saying about us while we are here on this earth. However, one day, we will face the judgment seat of God and we will be fully apprised of what God thought about our life.

We all love it when we hear our boss praise us in our own presence. However, how much more important is it when we hear through the grapevine that our boss is praising us to a competitor. Imagine two football coaches who are one week away from playing each other having a private meeting. One coach tells the other, have you scouted my star quarterback, there is no way that you are going to stop him, he is the absolute best quarterback of all time. If you were to hear that your coach had said that, you better believe that you would play your absolute best so that your coach’s words would not be in vain.

What is it that God is saying about you? Maybe if you were to seek God, you would discover what you are doing right that is pleasing to the Lord. The problem with most believers is that we really do not care what God says about us or what HE things of our actions. We really do not have the fear of the Lord in our life which means that while we say we understand that we are accountable to HIM, we really do not live our lives according to the principles of the fear of the Lord.

Job was a man that feared the Lord and because of his fear of the Lord, he was concerned about living his life in a way that was pleasing to God. Job was afraid to do evil because he understood that God was not mocked, God would judge him for his transgressions.

We are told that we are supposed to learn from the patience of Job. Job was able to be patient because he had first established a solid foundation in his life that enabled him to endure much suffering for the glory of God. Job did not go through great trials because of sins that he committed, Job suffered great trials because of the foundation that he first established in his life.

We will never be able to fully understand why God allows us to face difficult trials. However, if we seek first the kingdom of God and HIS righteousness, then we will be in a position that we can patiently endure the trials God brings into our lives. God has a reason for allowing us to face the trials that we face. Do not be deceived, we will reap based upon what we have sowed. Job sowed a righteous life and as a result, we see a man of great patience.

Job 1:1 There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job; and that man was perfect and upright, and one that feared God, and eschewed evil.

In the book of James we are told that we have heard of the patience of Job. We understand that patience is one of the precious promises that God gives to those who call upon HIS name. If we desire to obtain the precious promises that God has for us, then we need to study the life of the man who scripture tells us is the example of patience.

Scripture tells us that Job was a man that feared the Lord. Job did not desire to do evil but instead, he was an upright man who made sure to stay as far away from evil as he possibly could. Job did not say that he was perfect but God tells us that he was a perfect man multiple times throughout the book of Job.

The Hebrew word that is translated perfect in this passage means complete, morally pious, gentle, perfect, plain, undefiled, and upright. Job was not perfect as Jesus Christ was perfect in that he had no sin. Job was perfect in that he set his heart towards living for God and HIS holy standards.

Job is the example of patience because he first prepared his life with the fear of the Lord. Job understood that he was accountable to God for all his words, thoughts, and actions and as such, his understanding of who God was changed him for the better.

As the book of Job starts, Job does not know the trials that he is about to face. As we first look into the life of Job, Job has no idea that he is going to face extreme difficulties that are designed to demonstrate to Satan that Job trusts God. As we start to study the book of Job, at this time, Job was unaware of what was about to happen but he was aware of who God is to him and he is structuring his life for the glory of God.

A builder does not build his house in the middle of the winter when there is four feet of snow and ice on the ground. A builder lays the foundation and starts to build the house long before the storms of life start to wreck turmoil upon his life. If the house is built right, when the storms come in the winter, the entire family can rest in peace knowing that they are safe from the storm. However, if the builder made any mistakes in building the house, the storms of winter will quickly reveal the weaknesses of the house.

We do not know what kind of trials God is going to bring into our life. What we do know is that we cannot live our entire life without a trial. The time to prepare for the trial is not when you are in the midst of the storm, the time to prepare for the trial is before you face the trial. You do not know what trials God is going to bring into your life, but you do know that the stronger your relationship with God is, the easier it will be for you to keep your eyes focused upon HIM.

No one likes to go through trials, but the trials of your faith work patience in you. Since patience is a gift from God, you should learn to thank God when a trial comes into your life. Job was able to survive the terrible trials that he faced because he had a proper relationship with God. Job feared the Lord and hated evil. Now is a good time to start working on your relationship with God. Now is the time to learn to love what God loves and hate what God hates. As you fill your heart with the things of God, you will gain a new perspective on your relationship with God. By adding the fear of the Lord to your life, you will build a solid foundation for the rest of your life.

Ephesians 5:15-16 See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, Redeeming the time, because the days are evil.

You look around you and you see great wickedness being committed. The world does that which seemeth right in its own eyes and rather than be ashamed of its wickedness, it flaunts its wickedness so that all can see.

As long as there is no fear of the Lord, wickedness will prevail. When people see that the Lord is real and that HE will hold them accountable for every word, action, and thought, it has a way of changing one’s behavior. However, when one does not fully understand the power of God, they are more likely to yield to temptation and do that which seemeth right in their own eyes.

Solomon once wrote that there is nothing new under the sun. While we sit here today and we see such great wickedness, we must understand that this is not new or unusual. Paul also saw great wickedness during his days. Today we see parents killing their children in the name of choice; during the time of Paul, parents killed their children to make the gods pleased with them.

There is nothing new under the sun; just as Paul had to warn the New Testament church about living in a wicked society, so also, the warnings of Paul are just as appropriate today. In this passage, Paul instructs us that we are to walk circumspectly and to redeem the time. According to Thayers Greek definitions, the Greek word transcribed as circumspectly means exactly, accurately, diligently. Webster 1828 dictionary defines circumspectly as cautiously, with watchfulness every way, with attention to guard against surprise or danger.

Paul is warning us to be wise individuals and not fools when it comes to living in a wicked world. You need to be careful what you do to ensure that your actions will be pleasing to God. We live in a day and time where entertainment is worshiped. People spend great portions of their day watching television, playing games, and listening to their music. While some of these items are outright wicked, even with the stuff that is not wicked one still needs to be careful to ensure that they are not wasting time that God would have them spend elsewhere.

The things of this world can quickly suck your time. Very quickly you will find that you no longer have time to read the Bible because you spent 30 minutes reading the news on your favorite website. No longer do you have the time to pray because you spent 2 hours watching your favorite television show. No longer do you have the time to memorize scripture because you spent the time in your car listening to music.

We all have only 24 hours each day. One day we will stand before God and we will be held accountable for how we spent that time. We live in a day where there are a lot of options of what we do with our time. We must be careful in guarding our time so that we do not let the things of this world take away our time and prevent us from doing that which is right in the eyes of God.

By diligently attending to the things of God, our relationship with God will grow. As a result of a closer relationship with God, God will give us the fruit of the Spirit which includes temperance which gives us the strength to say no to the things of the world and yes to the things of God. The more we allow God to abide in us, the more we understand HIS will for our life and the easier it will be for us to see the fulfillment of the desires of our heart. You may not have the desires of your heart because you are not redeeming the time that God has given you properly.

Ephesians 5:5 For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.

All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. It does not matter how good you are, all of your filthiness are as filthy rags. It does not matter how many good deeds you have done during your life, it does not matter how much money you have given to charity; you, in your sinful state cannot earn your way to heaven.

God is perfect and your sinfulness has resulted in your inability to have fellowship with God. God has a perfect law and it does not matter, all you have to do is break one law and you are a lawbreaker. You may not be a murder or a rapist, but you are a sinner and you do not deserve Heaven.

It is by the grace of God that you are saved. It is because of the righteousness of Jesus Christ that you can have fellowship with God once again. It is the blood of Christ that has covered your sins.

Just because you have accepted Jesus Christ as your personal Savior, it does not mean that you are sinless. The sin nature of man did not automatically disappear the second you chose to serve God. However, by the grace of God, you can sin less. As you learn more about God, the more you change and the more the righteousness of Jesus Christ will cause you to change your decision making. If you fear God and understand the consequences of your sins, then you will sin less often because you do not want to damage the relationship that you have with God.

A young man who is pursuing a young lady will often change his behavior because he does not want to do something that will cause the lady to leave him for another. All of a sudden, this young man is willing to do things that he ridiculed other men for doing just days before. However, once the young man has married the lady, you will often see the man go back to his old ways, no longer is he pursuing the love of the young lady and quickly because he is putting his own desires above the desires of his wife, their relationship deteriorates.

The same can often be seen in our relationship with God. We need to learn to pursue the desires of HIS heart. As we change our actions to please HIM, we are going to discover the true love of God. However, if we are not careful, we will slide back into our old sinful ways and soon we will find that our relationship with God is not what it used to be. We cannot afford to allow our relationship with God to become one sided where all we are concerned about is what God can give to us. If we do become self-focused, we are like the young man who once he is married, goes back to his old life style and leaves his young bride wondering what happened to the man that she had married.

Christ desires to change us for the better. We have often fallen in love with our old sinful nature and as such, while we understand that we need to change in order to not go to hell, we want to make the least amount of changes possible. However, in order to live a life that is pleasing to God, we need to let the power of God to change us completely.

The things of this world are very attractive. We must allow God to work through us and allow HIS power to give us the strength so that we can overcome the temptations that this world has to offer. As we add temperance to our lives, the world will see the change in our lives and then they will be more interested hearing about the hope that is within us.

Genesis 39:8 But he refused, and said unto his master’s wife, Behold, my master wotteth not what is with me in the house, and he hath committed all that he hath to my hand;

Joseph was a slave in Potiphar’s house. Potiphar had seen that the Lord was with Joseph and thus Potiphar entrusted to Joseph everything that that was in his house. One day, Potiphar’s wife requested that Joseph commit adultery with her. Joseph did not yield to the temptation presented by Potiphar’s wife. Instead, Joseph fled from the temptation and thus refused to sin.

Joseph exercised self-control by not allowing his fleshly lusts to control his actions. Instead, Joseph understood that he was accountable to God for every action and thus he refused to sin against God knowing that God would judge him. Joseph had seen the hand of the Lord upon his life and as such, Joseph understood that God was real and thus he did not want to do anything that could damage his relationship with God.

Joseph did not commit adultery as his older brother Reuben did when he went into his father’s concubine. Joseph did not commit adultery as his older brother Judah did when he slept with a harlot that ended up being his daughter-in-law. Instead, Joseph kept his passions in check so that he would not sin against God.

You do not have to sin and fall short of the glory of God. God has not placed a temptation in front of you that you are not able to overcome. This means that while Adam and Eve chose to sin, they did not have to sin. If they had simply exercised some self-control, they could have resisted the temptations of the serpent and they would have avoided being banished from the garden.

Often in the Bible we read stories about how certain individuals sinned and fell short of the glory of God. However, despite their sin, we see how God forgave the sinner and was able to use them. The story of Joseph is that of a man who chose not to sin when he had the opportunity. God ended up really using Joseph by raising him out of a prison and putting him second in command over all of Egypt in one day.

We should strive to follow the example of Joseph. We should strive to exercise self-control over our sin nature and refuse to do that which separates us from our God. Just as Joseph chose not to yield to his sin nature, so also can we resist the temptations of the evil one and be an example to those around us of what God can do through a servant who exercises the fear of the Lord.

When was the last time you successfully fled from the temptation of the wicked one? Satan desires to cause you to yield to sin so that your testimony is damaged and he has a stronghold to encourage you to continue to sin. Every time you resist Satan, you decrease Satan’s influence upon your life. By exercising temperance, you find the strength to say no to the things of your flesh and to say yes to a closer relationship with God.

Joseph understood who God was and what his relationship to God was supposed to look like. Joseph feared the Lord and he feared what would happen if he did something that displeased HIM. Because of the fear of the Lord in his life, Joseph was able to say no to the temptation of fleshly lusts. Joseph is an example to all of us how we do not have to yield to sin but how we can overcome the temptations of this world. We should strive to develop a strong testimony like Joseph so that nothing comes between us and our relationship with God.

Genesis 39:4 And Joseph found grace in his sight, and he served him: and he made him overseer over his house, and all that he had he put into his hand.

Joseph was a slave in the house of Potiphar. However, even though Joseph was a slave, Potiphar saw that God was with Joseph and as such, Potiphar entrusted Joseph with the care of everything in his house. Potiphar saw the fear of the Lord in Joseph and Potiphar was not worried that Joseph would do anything that would deprive him of his possessions.

If Joseph had a worldly perspective, Potiphar would not have seen the fear of the Lord in Joseph and he would not have given Joseph authority in his house. Potiphar recognized that Joseph was different. Joseph did not appear to be bitter about the sad set of events that resulted in him being a slave. While other slaves probably did the minimum work possible, Joseph was diligent so that God would be glorified in all that he did.

Most of us probably look at the life of Joseph and see how the Lord blessed Joseph. We desire a similar blessing from God in our own work. We wish that our bosses would recognize us for the work that we do. However, while we would love the blessings of God upon our lives, we are often not willing to make the sacrifices that Joseph made. God blessed Joseph because Joseph maintained a proper attitude towards God. God blessed Joseph because Joseph was willing to trust God regardless of the unfair treatment he appeared to be receiving.

If you desire God to use you and do great things through your life, then you must first learn to yield your rights to control your own destiny. God has a perfect plan for your life and in order to be all that you can be for God, you must first let go and allow God to have free reign. Until you let God have complete control and you are willing to trust him regardless of what trial you are facing, the world will not see the hand of God in your life.

It is always easy to look back and see how man meant something for evil but God meant it for good. It is much harder to look at the unjust situation you are facing today and trust that God is in control. When you exercise temperance in your life and refuse to allow the things of this world from distracting you from trusting God, then you are ready to really live.

The cares of this world want to distract you from serving God. You must exercise self-control to not allow your mind to wonder to places it should not be. The fear of the Lord enables you to look at the things that are going on around you from God’s perspective.

Joseph was placed in a position of leadership because he could be trusted. Joseph had demonstrated restraint in his personal life and thus Potiphar was willing to trust him with greater possessions. Potiphar may not serve the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, but Potiphar was able to see that Joseph was different and that he would be better off in giving Joseph a position of leadership.

If you desire to do great things in this world today, you need to first start with your own life and adjust your attitude. Make sure that you are living your life for the Lord. If the fear of the Lord is in your life, then the world will see the light of God reflecting in your life and they will understand that you can be trusted. Restrain the urge to start complaining to God about what is going on in your life; instead, take the time to thank God for all that HE has permitted you to endure. Once you change your attitude, then you can watch how God uses you.

Genesis 37:32 And they sent the coat of many colors, and they brought it to their father; and said, This have we found: know now whether it be thy son’s coat or no.

The sons of Jacob thought they were being wise. They pretended that Joseph never reached them. Instead, they soaked Joseph’s coat in blood and stated that they found the coat. They knew that their father would recognize the coat and believe that some wild beast had killed Joseph. This way they would escape the wrath of their father because he would not think to accuse them of having anything to do with Joseph’s disappearance.

If you were to ask the sons of Jacob why they lied to their father, they would reply that they never lied. They would say that they mislead their father and that they simply chose not tell their father all the facts that they knew. However, they did not tell all the facts, they knew that they were the ones who soaked the garment in blood. They had done evil in selling their brother to Egypt and now they added to their sins by deceiving their father into thinking that Joseph was dead and that they had no part in his disappearance.

Have you ever told a little white lie? You have been asked a question by someone in authority in your life and you chose to stretch the truth a little bit so as to avoid falling even further into trouble. It does not matter what kind of excuses you have worked up in your head justifying your lie, it is still a sin. Christ commanded us to let our yes be yes and our no be no. If we sin and lie no matter how small it is, we have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. We are a law breaker, and we are guilty of breaking the entire law.

It does not matter if you tell a very small lie or if you go and kill someone, you have sinned against God and have violated HIS perfect law. Because you have sinned, you are in need of a Savior. Because you have sinned, you need to claim the blood of Christ so that you can restore your communication with the Father.

It is hard to think that you are just as big of a sinner if you tell a white lie as if you actually take someone’s life. However, a sin is a sin, and it separates you from a Holy God. The difference between the white lie and the murder will come in the consequences of your sinful behavior. When you break the perfect law of God, there will always be consequences. God is a Holy God and what you sow, so shall you reap. The consequences of telling a little white lie will probably not be nearly as drastic as killing a person.

After you sin, God desires to restore the relationship as soon as possible. Based upon your sin, God is going to bring certain consequences into your life to teach you the importance of living according to HIS standards. You may not always recognize the punishment of God, but if you continue to live a sinful life, the consequences will increase as God tries to get your attention.

At some point in your life, the temptation will be strong to tell a little white lie. You need to add temperance to your life and resist the temptation to sin against God. Exercise some self-control and allow HE that is in you to give you the strength to simply tell the truth.

The sons of Jacob did not fear God. They sold their brother as a slave and then told a small lie to their father so that their father would not suspect them. These brothers told the lie so as to cover their tracks and avoid the wrath of their father. Had they simply not done anything to their brother, they never would have had to tell a lie to cover their tracks. One sin led to another.

Genesis 37:26 And Judah said unto his brethren, What profit is it if we slay our brother, and conceal his blood?

Judah and his brothers had just captured their brother Joseph and thrown him in a deep ditch in which he was going to die. About that time, a group of Ishmeelites came along heading to Egypt and the brothers determined that since they were going to get rid of their brother, they might as well profit for their crime. They ended up selling Joseph for twenty pieces of silver.

The brothers of Joseph did not care about their brother; instead they were focused upon getting rid of the brother that they hated. They were tired of the favoritism that Jacob showed him and they were tired of his dreams.

The heart of these brothers is observed in this passage. These brothers did not have the fear of God in their life. Instead, these brothers only desired personal gain. If something was in their way of their personal enjoyment, they simply got rid of it.

As we study the brothers of Joseph, we do not see any of them acknowledging the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Instead, what we see if Reuben sleeping with his father’s concubine, Judah sleeping with the local whore (which ended up being his daughter-in-law), and Levi and Simeon slaying an entire city for the sin of one man. However, if you contrast this with the life of Joseph, Joseph understands that there is a God and he is accountable to God for his behavior. Joseph gives credit to God for his ability to interpret dreams.

Joseph served the God of his fathers while his brothers served the god of gold. Joseph’s brothers simply saw him as a pest which they could get rid of like they get rid of a fly. However, rather than simply getting rid of their brother by killing him, they saw an opportunity to make some money off of Joseph so they sold him as a slave. Little did they know that God sent the Ishmeelites along at this very moment heading to Egypt for the purpose of taking Joseph to the place where God needed him to later save his entire family.

What is the determining factor for how you make your decisions? Are you like Joseph who understands that you can or cannot do certain things because God is watching? Or are you like Joseph’s brothers who were simply looking for the easiest way to make a profit. It is easy to live by the world’s code and make decisions simply based upon the personal profit that you might receive. However, the riches of this world are not eternal and they only last for a short season. The story of your life can last for generations if you are faithful to God like Joseph was. We still tell the story of Joseph because he chose to serve the God of his fathers.

There will be plenty of opportunities to make a quick buck. However, the opportunity to make money should not be your focus. Instead, your focus needs to be on what God desires you to do. Money can very quickly crowd out your vision. As such, you need to add temperance to your life so that you have the strength to step back from the money and focus upon what God desires you to do.

Joseph’s brothers were caught up in the moment and what they could obtain right that minute. They did not think about the long term consequences of their behavior. They did not think about their father and what this would do to him. Instead, they were concerned about twenty pieces of silver that they would have to split ten ways.

Genesis 35:5 And they journeyed: and the terror of God was upon the cities that were round about them, and they did not pursue after the sons of Jacob.

Dinah had just been raped and two of Jacob’s sons had killed all the men in the city where their sister was abused. Jacob chastised his sons because he feared that his entire family would be killed by those seeking revenge for the killing of their loved ones. Jacob worried that the situation was soon going to escalate as the inhabitants of the Promise Land sought eye for an eye revenge.

The fears of Jacob were unjustified. God was with Jacob and God was not going to allow the family of Jacob to be destroyed because his sons defended their sister’s honor. Jacob had lost sight of God’s promises for his life and this is why he allowed worry to enter into his life when God did not want him to worry.

It is easy to take your eyes off of the promises of God. As you focus upon that which God desires you to focus upon, you will fill your mind with thoughts that God never desired you to think about. The longer you mind is not upon the things of God, the more Satan will be able to tempt you into concerning things that are never going to occur.

Jacob had seen God protect him from his brother Esau and from Laban, Jacob did not need to worry about the inhabitance of the Promise Land. God was working on behalf of Jacob and God made sure that those who desired to do harm to Jacob feared the Lord. God worked in their minds and caused Jacob’s enemies to fear that Jacob was stronger than he was.

Throughout scripture we see how God put the fear of the Lord in the enemies of those who served God. When the nation of Israel re-entered the Promise Land, we learn that God the city of Jericho feared God because 40 years earlier he had utterly destroyed the Egyptian army with the Red Sea.

Jesus commanded us in the Sermon on the Mount that we are not to worry. God is our protector and provider. HE does not want us to waste our time thinking about what could go wrong. Instead we need to focus our attention upon the promises of God. As we remember what HE has promised us, we do not need to worry about what may occur. God desires that our focus be on HIM, not on our problems.

If we take the time to add temperance to our life, we will be able to say no to the temptation to start worrying about the things of this world. Worry is a common temptation. However, we can overcome worry by simply saying no and exercising the faith that is necessary so that God can be glorified through your life. It is easy to worry, but you need to exercise self-control so that God might be glorified in your life.

Jacob was worried about what others might do to him so he did not properly protect and defend his daughter. Jacob was worried about what others might do so he chastised his sons for doing what he probably should have done. Jacob did not have to worry because God had already taken care of the problem. God protected Jacob by putting the fear of the Lord in Jacob’s enemies. Jacob had no need to fear and as such, his fears were simply a waste of his time and were a determent to the growth of his faith. Your faith will grow when you allow your focus to be placed upon the promises of God rather than the worries of the world.

Genesis 28:17 And he was afraid, and said, How dreadful is this place! This is none other but the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven.

Jacob was on his way to Laban. One night, he found a rock for a pillow and he went to sleep. That night he had a dream that he saw a ladder reaching up into heaven and the angels of the Lord ascending and descending the ladder. Jacob then heard the voice of the Lord. God promised Jacob that his descendants would inherit the promise land, his descendants would be too many to count, and God would bless his descendants.

When Jacob woke up he was afraid because he realized that he had been in the presence of God and that God had spoken to him through his dream. Jacob took the rock that he used as a pillow and turned upright to be a pillar as a reminder of what God had showed him this day.

Jacob had heard all the stores of his grandfather Abraham and his father Isaac how God had guided them in the way that they were to go. Jacob understood the power of God and how God has blessed his grandfather and father. However, Jacob was not yet ready to have a personal relationship with the God of his father.

Jacob was wise to set up a monument so that he would always be able to remember this personal contact with God. However, Jacob was not ready to change and give himself fully over to God. Jacob instead chose to make a promise with God that if God provided for his basic needs and that he was able to return to his father’s house in peace, then Jacob would have a personal relationship with the God of his fathers.

God is real and when HE makes HIS presence known unto us, we should fear HIM. We are told that blessed are those who fear the Lord. When you come into the presence of God, it should change your life. No longer should you desire pursuing the things of this world but instead you should be pursuing the things of God. As you pursue the things of God, your relationship and dependence upon God should deepen.

Jacob was not out looking for God to come and speak to him. Jacob was simply obeying his parents and going to the house of Laban. God came looking for Jacob during this time in Jacob’s life to reveal to HIM that HE was real and to reveal that HE desired a relationship with Jacob.

God desires you to draw closer to HIM. HE may not come to you in a dream in the night as HE did with Jacob, but HE will make HIS presence known. When God makes HIS presence known, how will you respond? Will you draw closer to HIM or will you go the other direction?

If you have set your heart upon the things of this world, the things of the world will greatly disappoint you. However, if you set your heart upon the things of God, God will be able to bless you in ways you never imagined. As such, you need to add temperance to your life so that you can say no to the things of the world and yes to the things of God.

This passage is the first time that Jacob has contact with God. God is going to direct HIS steps and show him what he is to do and where he is to live. When God speaks to us, we need to take the time to write down what HE says so that we will be strong to overcome the temptations to despair when things are not going nearly as well as we think they should go. Do not lose focus of the promises of God because they will see you through the difficult times.

Acts 23:1 And Paul, earnestly beholding the council, said, Men and brethren, I have lived in all good conscience before God until this day.

One day you will stand before the ultimate Judge to bear account for every word, thought, and deed. When that day comes, will you be able to say that you stand before God in good conscience? The problem is that all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. As a result of your sins, you cannot stand before God guiltless.

Instead, when you stand before God on that great judgment day, you must rely upon the blood of Jesus Christ. Satan desires to claim you as his own because of all the wickedness that has been uttered out of your mouth, mind, and heart. Instead, Jesus will stand between you and God and reveal to God two nail pierced hands. It is not by any works that will entitle you to live forever in heaven; it will be because of the grace of God that your sins have been pardoned.

In this passage, we see that Paul is standing before the religious leaders giving account for himself. A riot had started the day before when several Jews from Asia had seen Paul in the temple. Paul was being judged by men yet Paul understood that he was not guilty of violating the law of God. These men believed that they were administering the laws of God, but for many years they had perverted the law of God until it said what they wanted it to say.

Paul understood the will of God for his life and he knew that he had been faithful to God. It did not matter what man would do to him because in the eyes of God, he was innocent. Paul had repented from his sins, and while he was still human and had fallen short of the glory of God; Paul had turned from his wicked ways and was striving to live a life that was pleasing to God.

Jesus had commanded us to not fear men who could only take our lives. Instead, HE commanded us to fear God who not only could take our lives but also our souls. This is exactly what Paul was doing. Paul knew that the religious leaders during the time of Jesus had the perfect Son of God crucified. Paul was not under some false assumption that these religious leaders could not finagle a way to have him killed. However, just because he could be killed for the cause of Christ, this was not going to stop him from boldly proclaiming the name of Christ.

If you have accepted Christ as your personal Savior, it means that God has forgiven you for your sins. You are now free to live a new life under the power of God free from the bondage of sin. However, Satan does not want to see you living a life free from bondage and as such, he will continue to tempt you with the things of this world. You do not have to yield to the temptation of the things of this world; however, when you do, you are no longer free.

The things of this world try to keep you in bondage. Only a return to God and HIS perfect plan for your life will allow you to have a clear conscience. When the world tries to tempt you with all the wonderful things that it has to offer, your response needs to be to say no. Temperance is saying no to the things of this world and saying yes to the things of God.

It will not always be easy to say no to the things of this world, but by the grace of God you can overcome. You cannot do it by your own strength, but by the grace of God, you can do the impossible. Paul understood the grace of God and that is why he was able to live a life where he could not be accused by those around him. Paul strived to live his life in accordance with the principles of God, and that is why he could be so bold in proclaiming the name of Christ.

Proverbs 31:13 She seeketh wool, and flax, and worketh willingly with her hands.

A virtuous individual is one who is diligent. When others look at you, do they understand you to be a diligent individual or do they think you are lazy. In Proverbs 6, we are instructed to look towards the ant to see diligence. The ant does not have a leader, but it works diligently to ensure that it has food to eat throughout the year.

Are you diligent to get up early each morning to ensure that you have time to do your devotions before you go to work? Are you diligent at work so that when others look at you, they know that there is something different about you? Are you diligent at home, working with a joyful attitude seeking to serve all whom you come in contact with?

If you are in business for yourself, you understand the importance of being diligent. If you are not diligent, then you will not eat. However, while you can make the correlation between working hard and financial remuneration, many people have a hard time seeing the correlation between being diligent in their Bible studies and the positive effect it has upon their life.

Your spiritual health should be more important to you then the dollars in your bank account. Everything in this world will soon be over and your relationship with God will be all that you have on judgment day. If you have a terrible relationship with God, then you will have done many things that are displeasing to HIM and you will be accountable to HIM. However, if you fear the Lord and diligently studied the word of God in order to understand how you are supposed to live your life, then come judgment day, you will have less to fear.

An individual who is diligent in serving God will naturally be diligent in their daily work. However, the reverse is not always true; a person who is diligent in their work is not necessarily diligent in their daily Bible studies.

Why do you think David had faith that God was going to deliver Goliath into his hands? It was not because he was diligent in watching the sheep of his father. David had spent many hours alone with God and had developed a heart after the heart of God. It was because of his relationship with God that David was able to speak boldly to the man who desired to kill him.

Do you have the faith of Daniel who knew that he could be thrown into a den of lions and God would protect him? Remember, Daniel was faithful to pray three times a day. It was because of the diligence of Daniel that he understood that God was not finished with him yet and as such, he could peacefully go into the den of lions knowing that the lions could not touch him.

The reason why you do not have the faith of Peter to walk on water, or the faith of Moses to part the Red Sea, or the faith of John to heal a lame man is because you do not have a personal relationship with God. Yes, you claim to serve HIM. Yes, you do spend some time reading the Bible and praying. However, your relationship with God is not what it is supposed to be. You spend more time worrying about the things of this world then you spend on the things of God.

You need to be diligent to put the things of God first in your life. As you add knowledge of the ways of God, your relationship with God will grow. The greater your relationship with God, the more expansive your ministry will be because not only do you know how to hear the still small voice of God, but you also have the power of God in your life.

Proverbs 29:25 The fear of man bringeth a snare: but whoso putteth his trust in the LORD shall be safe.

Do you fear man or do you fear the Lord? What governs your decision making? Is it what others might think of you or is what God thinks of you? You know you fear the Lord when the reason why you do not sin is because you do not want to grieve God.

Think of a child who is instructed by his mother not to eat a cookie. If the boy has his friends over and he takes a cookie in order to show his friends how cool he is, then it is clear that this boy respects the opinion of his friends more than he respects the opinion of his mother. Even if this boy does not take the cookie, it is important to understand why he does not eat the cookie. Does he avoid eating the cookie because he does not want to be punished, or does he abstain from the cookie because he loves his mother and he desires to please her?

We have a choice in how we act. We can do that which is right in our own eyes or we can do what is right in the eyes of God. Even when we do what is right in the eyes of God, we need to make sure that we are serving God for the right reasons. Some people do the right thing because they are afraid of the judgment of God. However, an even better reason to serve God is because of your love of God and your desire to please HIM.

Peter asked Jesus how many times he needed to forgive his brother for the same offense. This question was not asked because he loved the Lord with all his heart and desired to forgive his brother in the same way God had forgiven him. Instead, Peter understood that he must forgive his brother and so as to ensure that he did not violate the law of God and thus be liable for the judgment, Peter asked Jesus how many times he must forgive.

We do not want to be like Peter who was looking for excuses not to serve God with 100% of his heart. Instead, we need to be more like Solomon who willingly made 1,000 burnt offerings unto the Lord. Solomon had no obligation to make 1, let alone 1,000 burnt offerings unto the Lord. However, Solomon feared the Lord and he desired to demonstrate his love to God by giving to the Lord above and beyond what was required of him.

Lot is another example of a man who obeyed God so as not to be punished by God. When God sent a couple of angles to remove Lot from Sodom and Gomorrah, Lot only left when he absolutely had to leave. Lot requested to go to a small town rather than to the mountains that God requested him to go. Lot was trying to get away with doing the very least amount for God.

Do you trust God and obey HIM? If you obey HIM, why do you obey HIM? It is important to not only obey God but to obey HIM for the right reasons. Too many claim to obey God but because their attitude is not right, they miss out on many blessings that God has for them.

You need to take time to add knowledge of the ways of God to your life. You need to start loving God not because you fear HIS judgment but because you love HIM and desire to please HIM. If you read your Bible because it is simply a chore that you must do, you are not adding any knowledge of the ways of God and you are simply doing the right thing for the wrong reasons. If you desire to receive the full blessings that God has available for you, then you must learn to have the right attitude for why you trust and obey. Until you have the right attitude, your obedience will not gain you the favor that you desire of God.

Proverbs 28:14 Happy is the man that feareth always: but he that hardeneth his heart shall fall into mischief.

Are you happy? When people ask you about your day, do you immediately tell them all the good things that occurred in your life or do you waste your time discouraging them with all the bad things that occurred? Your attitude does affect others. If you are happy and you act like you are happy, then others will desire to have what you have. If you are miserable and act like you are miserable, what hope do you have in ever winning someone over to the Lord?

There is a battle for your emotions. Satan knows that if he can get your focus upon the things of this world, then it will be easy to discourage you when things do not go your way. As long as you are discouraged, the light of God will not properly reflect through you.

One of the blessings of being a Christian is that no matter how bad things are in your life, you know that God is in control. Esther had heard the news that all the Jews were to be killed. Esther had the Jews pray for three days before she risked her life and went before the king. God was with Esther and the king showed her favor and the Jews were saved because of her actions.

God was with Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah when they were in the midst of the fiery furnace. These men refused to bow down to a false god and there punishment was to be burned alive. Even though they were going to their death, they had a positive attitude and they acknowledged that God could save them or he could allow them to die, but either way, their lives were in the hands of the Lord.

In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus started out with nine things that give a Christian happiness. The word blessed means happy. Jesus teaches us that we can be happy when we mourn, when we are persecuted, and for several other things. As a Christian, our happiness comes from God. This means that regardless of what is going on around us, we cannot focus upon our circumstances, we must learn to focus upon God and HIS power in our life.

Do you fear the Lord? One of the evidences of you fearing the Lord will be that you understand that God is in control of your life and as such, you do not have to become worried when life throws you lemons. The fear of the Lord allows you to be content.

Those who do not fear the Lord blame God when they face difficult times. They do not trust God because in their minds, how can a loving God allow such terrible things to occur in their life and in the lives of others. They are not happy because they think that God owes them happiness. Instead of turning to God in their time of trouble, they continue the downward destructive spiral of their life.

You may not be able to control the circumstances in your life but you can control how you respond to them. If you have taken the time to add knowledge of the ways of God and have the fear of the Lord in your life, then your natural response will be to trust God. When you trust God, you do not have to worry or be discouraged because it is out of your hands and you know that God has a purpose. It is only when you insist on doing things your own way that you start the miserable self-destructive cycle that makes you miserable along with everyone around you. Trust in the Lord and in the power of HIS might and you will find happiness. Focus on what the world can give you and you will never be content.

Proverbs 28:2 For the transgression of a land many are the princes thereof: but by a man of understanding and knowledge the state thereof shall be prolonged.

David was a man after the heart of God. It was because of the relationship that David had with God that God that when the nation of Israel split from the tribe of Judah, God still permitted a descendant of David to remain on the throne.

Why should God bless you with a position of leadership if you do not understand the principles of how God desires you to live your life? If you do that which is right in your eyes, why should God bless you? It is God who rises up one and brings down another. It is God who brings opportunities of leadership into your life. It is God to whom you are accountable to for how you lead those who HE has allowed you to minister to.

When man does what is right in his own eyes, you find that there is a need for multiple counselors. Darius named 120 princes and 3 presidents to assist him in his leadership. These men loved their power and thus they came up with a plan in order to remove Daniel so that they could have even more power. It was the 120 princes who came to Darius to advise him in passing a new law. Because of the many princes, Daniel was thrown into a den of lions.

All Darius needed was Daniel. Daniel had a close relationship with God and because the fear of the Lord was in the life of Daniel, Darius had good reason to trust the counsel of Daniel. Daniel served four different rulers during his life. The rulers he served were wise to include Daniel as one of their advisors but they would have been even wiser had they chosen to serve the Lord with all their hearts. Maybe if they had followed the example of Daniel, their reigns would have been longer.

You need to become a man or woman of understanding. You need to add knowledge of the ways of God to your life. The more you understand who God is and what HE desires you to do, the easier it will be for you to be used of God. God is looking for those who are willing to forsake the things of this world. As long as the things of this world control you, you will never have an understanding of the ways of God as you need in order to be used mightily of the Lord.

When the nation of Israel was first told by God to enter the Promise Land, they did not understand who God was and as such, they chose to disobey HIM. It did not matter that God had brought 10 plagues upon the nation of Egypt. It did not matter that God had parted the Red Sea. It did not matter that God had given them the 10 Commandments. Because they did not understand who God was, when God gave them a command, they chose to disobey.

How many blessings were missed by the nation of Israel because they were required to wonder 40 years in the wilderness? Yes, God did continue to take care of them by providing for their needs, defending them from their enemies, and guiding them in the direction they were to go. How much better would it have been to receive these same blessings from the Promise Land?

You cannot afford to allow the things of this world to distract you from the things of God. You must take the time to add knowledge of the ways of God. The more time you spend drawing closer to God, the easier it will be for you to be in the center of HIS will. Do you dare to be a Daniel who God used to serve four kings? It all started with an understanding of the ways of God.

Proverbs 23:17 Let not thine heart envy sinners: but be thou in the fear of the LORD all the day long.

Think for a second about that wealthy individual who lives in a nice house, drives a nice car, and is always rubbing shoulders with the most important people in the country. Maybe you have dreamed to be in their position in the past. Maybe you tried to convince yourself that it was permissible for you to envy this individual because you are thinking about all the good you could do if you were in their position.

However, God is very clear; you are not to envy the sinners. God needs you to be content in whatever state you are at. If you are wealthy, learn to be content. If you are living paycheck by paycheck, learn to be content. If you are in the middle class, learn to be content. It is not your position as a Christian to be concerned about the Jones. God does not want you measuring your life by the life of those around you.

If you attempt to compare yourself with others, your focus is off. Instead, when you focus your life upon the perfect standard of God, you soon realize just how inadequate your life is. You do not know everything there is to know about that other person whom you are comparing yourself with. While they may appear to be rich, those same riches could be absolutely destroying them and their family.

You need to learn to have your focus upon the fear of the Lord. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge. It is because of the fear of the Lord that you will depart from evil. When you realize just who God is, then it should change your life. By serving a Living God who knows your words, actions, and thoughts, and understanding that HE will judge you for them should be enough to stop you from doing that which is right in your own eyes.

Your relationship with God should be the most important thing to you. If you desire wealth more than you desire God, it will destroy you. If you desire respect more than you desire God, it will destroy you. If you desire health more than you desire God, it will destroy you.

Gehazi envied the wealth of Naaman. Rather than focusing upon the ministry God had given him by serving Elisha, Gehazi was focused upon the riches he could have received. Gehazi allowed himself to pursue after Naaman and obtain some of his wealth. However, Naaman never had the opportunity to enjoy that wealth because he soon lost his health as a result of his greed.

Achan is another individual who envied the riches of others. Achan thought he could hide from God the wealth that he took from the city of Jericho. Achan did not fear God and as a result of his theft, God judged the nation and this eventually led to the death of Achan and his family. Had Achan simply learned to obey God and allow God to bless him with riches, he would have enjoyed the Promise Land.

You need to focus your attention upon God and not upon the things of the world. The world will always try to entice you with many wonderful things. However, all the things can offer you are as filthy rags. You need the knowledge of the ways of God. The more you try to understand who HE is, the more you try to draw closer to HIM, the more time you spend adding knowledge of the ways of God, then you will be in a position where you can find true contentment. Remember that Godliness with contentment is great gain.

Proverbs 22:4 By humility and the fear of the LORD are riches, honor, and life.

The ways of God are not always your ways. Jesus taught us that the first shall be last and the last shall be first. The concept of being servant of all is not one that is easily grasped since it is so counter-intuitive. Nonetheless, if you desire to live a life that is pleasing to God, then you must learn to be humble in spirit.

In addition to being humble, God desires that you learn the fear of the Lord. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge. If you do not fear the Lord, then you are going to do whatever you want, whenever you want. A Christian who has the fear of the Lord understands that they are accountable to God for every word, thought, and action. Because the Christian with the fear of the Lord understands that they do not want to violate their trust with God and they do not want to be grieved for doing that which is contrary to the will of God, they change their ways.

Humility and the fear of the Lord are two things God is looking for in you. Solomon demonstrated both of these qualities when he made 1,000 burnt offerings unto the Lord. The heart of Solomon was right before God. Solomon was acknowledging just how great God was and just how unworthy he was. Solomon understood that God did not have to give him the throne of his father, but God did, and thus, Solomon made the great sacrifice.

As a result of the 1,000 sacrifices made by Solomon, God came to Solomon and asked him what he desired. Solomon could have asked for anything but instead of asking for riches, honor, and life, Solomon asked for something that demonstrated that he was accountable to God for what he did on this earth. Solomon asked for wisdom in order to lead the people. God saw the humble heart of Solomon and his understanding that he was accountable and God not only gave Solomon wisdom but also riches, honor, and life.

Job was a man that feared the Lord. Job would make sacrifices to God on behalf of his children lest they sinned against God. Job understood that he was accountable to God for how he raised his children. Job suffered greatly because of his relationship with God, but God blessed him and gave him a large family and great wealth.

If you are suffering poverty, not receiving the honor that you feel you deserve, or are having great health problems, you may need to look at your life and see if maybe there is a problem with your spiritual walk with God. Granted, just because you have a health problem, it does not mean that you are living in sin. Job suffered great health problems because he was being tested to see if he would remain faithful.

Jesus healed a man who had been born blind. The disciples had asked Jesus if the man was blind because of sin but Jesus replied that the man was blind to reveal the glory of God. However, if you are facing financial setback or major health problems, you might want to look to God and ensure that you are not violating HIS perfect will. God may be using this lack of blessing in your life to get your attention and return your attention to HIM.

Your thoughts, words, and actions do affect your life. If your life is filled with the filth of this world, why should you expect the blessings of God? You need to understand just who God is. You will start to understand God and who HE is when you start taking the time to add knowledge of the ways of God. When you understand God, it will change your life.

2 Kings 5:27 The leprosy therefore of Naaman shall cleave unto thee, and unto thy seed for ever. And he went out from his presence a leper as white as snow.

Gehazi the servant of Elisha committed a great sin when he ran after Naaman and obtained silver and garments for his personal use for the healing that God had completed in Naaman. God did not want Naaman to think that he could purchase the power of God and as a result of the greed of Gehazi, we find that leprosy cleaved unto him.

The first time the word “cleave” is used in the bible is in Genesis 2:24 where we are told that a man shall “leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.” No better picture of what God meant when he said that a husband and wife should cleave together than in given in this story where the leprosy of Naaman cleaved unto Gehazi.

Leprosy is a disease that affects the body but is manifested by the outward appearance of the skin. One who had leprosy often would violently scratch his body but no matter how hard one scratched, the individual would not feel any better and the disease would be just as strong. The picture of leprosy on a man is the same picture that one should have towards marriage. When a man and a woman cleave to one another, they are one and the same; there is nothing that they can do to separate what God has joined together.

Many people think that they can divorce and thus be rid of their spouse. However, this temporary fix is just like a leper trying to scratch all the skin off of their arm because they have leprosy. The disease is more than skin deep. Yes, you may see the outward manifestation of the disease just as you can see a man and a woman who are married, but just as there is more to the disease then you can see, so there is more to the union between a man and a woman then is seen with the eye.

You must be careful in selecting your spouse. Solomon was not very wise and he loved many strange women. Solomon became one flesh with these women who did not share his faith in God and because he “clave unto these in love” (1 Kings 11:2) we see that his heart was turned away from God.

In the same manner that a husband and wife are to cleave to one another, so too are you to cleave unto God. We are told in Deuteronomy 10:20 that “Thou shalt fear the LORD thy God; him shalt thou serve, and to him shalt thou cleave, and swear by his name.” In fact, many times throughout scriptures we are told that we are to cleave unto God. Our relationship with God should be like that of a leper with leprosy. We must become one with God to the point that we could not imagine our life without HIM.

Proverbs 19:23 The fear of the LORD tendeth to life: and he that hath it shall abide satisfied; he shall not be visited with evil.

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge. You must add knowledge of the ways of God to your life if you desire to live a life that is pleasing to God. When your life pleases the Lord, you will have contentment regardless of what is going on around you.

In Philippians 4:11, Paul says Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned in whatsoever state I am therewith to be content. Paul feared the Lord and he understood that when he was living his life in accordance with the principles of God, he could be satisfied regardless of what is going on around him. Paul had been in prison, he had been beaten, and he had been falsely accused. However, because Paul understood what the will of God was for his life, he was content knowing that the world could do no evil to him apart what God permitted.

Joseph was a man who faced great evil, but the evil that he faced was permitted by God for the purpose of preserving his family. God had a plan and while Joseph faced many trials, these were trials with a purpose and thus later in his life, he saw the trials for what they were, they were not evil for evils sake, but they were trials for the purpose of the glory of God.

Just because you fear the Lord, it does not mean that bad things will not occur to you. However, when you fear the Lord, when bad things occur to you, you understand that the bad things that occur are not as a form of punishment because God is displeased with you, but instead, the bad things that have occurred are designed by God to cause the world to see HIS glory.

What is going on in your life that you feel is unjust? Are you bitter at God because HE is not blessing you the way that you think HE should? God has a plan and a purpose for you. When you fear the Lord, you learn what living for God really means. When you chose to do what is right in the eyes of God, you are able to be blessed in ways you never imagined. Joshua and Caleb feared the Lord and they were able to enter into the Promise Land because they feared the Lord.

Is everything that you think is unjust really unjust? Is everything that you think is unfair really unfair? Is everything that you think is evil really evil? How many times have you heard a little child say in a loud voice that something was unfair? Just because the child says it is unfair, does that really make it unfair? If you were to interview the parents, and other rational adults around, you might have many people who think that what the child is saying is unfair is really in truth fair.

The same is true in our life. As long as we have a self-centered view of our life, everything that we look at will be skewed by our defective vision in life. However, if we learn to fear the Lord and live our life in accordance with HIS principles, we all of sudden will start seeing that things that we say are not fair may in fact actually be fair in the sight of God.

You need to change your perspective on life. The more time you spend adding knowledge of the ways of God, the less self-centered you will be and the easier it will be for you to have a proper view of your life. You will live a miserable life if you are looking at it from the perspective of what God owes you. Understand what it means to have the fear of God in your life will be an important lesson that you must learn. Until you learn that lesson, your life will never be worth living.

Proverbs 16:6 By mercy and truth iniquity is purged: and by the fear of the LORD men depart from evil.

All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. It was by sin that man destroyed his relationship with God. It was by the mercy of God that HE sent HIS only Son into the world to die for our sins so that all who believe on HIM should have their sins forgiven. Jesus told us that HE was the Truth and as such, by HIM we can obtain eternal life.

God does not owe us anything. It is by our own freewill that we choose to sin and fall short of the glory of God. It is because of our sin that we create a gap between us and God. However, you can renew your relationship with God simply by accepting the mercy and truth of God.

Just because you proclaim to be a Christian and publically announce so that the entire world hears that Jesus Christ is your Savior, it does not mean that you have departed from your evil ways. You can have a person who is overweight who proclaims to the world that they are fat and that they are going to go on a diet. However, just because you proclaim that you are going onto a diet, it does not mean that you are on a diet let alone that you are going to lose any weight.

The same is true regarding your relationship with God. You can proclaim your reliance upon the mercy and truth of God every day for the rest of your life, but until you start adding the fear of the Lord to your life and you start departing from evil, your life really has not changed. It is by the fear of the Lord that you will depart from evil.

Everyone will do that which is right in their own eyes. The fear of the Lord however brings accountability to your life. This means that you understand that God is in control and that HE has established certain rules by which you must live by. You understand that God will judge you one day and you do not want to disappoint HIM. When you fear the Lord, you start living your life by a different standard. Instead of doing what is right in your own eyes, you start doing what is right in the eyes of God.

Imagine a little boy who is told by his father that if he back talks to his mother, then he will be punished as soon as he gets home. The little boy has a choice, he can back talk his mother during the day, but if he knows that his father is a man of his word and he will be punished, most likely, the boy will think twice before he disobeys his father.

The problem with most Christians is that they have a mistaken understanding of God. They have heard so much about the mercy of God that they fail to understand the truth of God. Christians today do not seem to understand HIS judgment. Just because the father punishes his son for disobeying him, it does not mean that the father no longer loves his child. The reverse is also true, just because God loves us, it does not mean that we are not punished. The fear that a child has for the paddle should be the same fear that you have of God when it comes to making your own decisions. The fear of the paddle is what causes a child to often obey and it is the fear of the Lord that should cause you to depart from evil.

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge. It is knowledge of the ways of God that will cause you to understand how God desires you to live. If you daily add knowledge of the ways of God to your life, then you will have the understanding of how God desires you to live and thus will make it easier for you to depart from evil.