I Am Because You Are August 28, 2025 Devotional

PROVERBS 9:10 | ¹⁰The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight.

JOHN 6:19 | ¹⁹ When they had rowed about three or four miles, they saw Jesus walking on the sea and coming near the boat, and they were terrified.

The disciples fear Jesus as He approaches on the water. The phrase “fear of the Lord” is ambiguous in scripture and life. Many people I know resist divine encounters and God questions out of a                fear that God’s claim on their lives will restrict their freedom and individuality. His rule will exclude their own sovereignty. His holiness will require them to alter their lives and characters.

God’s goodness does indeed expose our faults and failings. He does demand change. But to resist Him because of fear of His power, is to miss out on an experience of His love, which is our greatest good. We cannot become our best selves, let alone creatures fit for heaven, on our own. 

Do you know anyone who resists God’s authority?

Gracious God,

Teach me a holy submission that leads to joy and life everlasting.

Amen.