39 I will give them one heart and one way, that they may fear me for all time, for their own good and the good of their children after them.
40 I will make an everlasting covenant with them, never to draw back from doing good to them; and I will put the fear of me in their hearts, so that they may not turn from me.
41 I will rejoice in doing good to them, and I will plant them in this land in faithfulness, with all my heart and all my soul.
Prayer Focus: The word that stands out for me in this text is the repeated use of “fear.” The Lord will give the exiles one heart so that they may “fear” the Lord for all time. And then later, “I will put the fear of me in their hearts.” Certainly, there is a sense in which fear prevents us from wrongdoing. We fear being caught or the punishment for the crime, and so we restrain our actions. I do not think that the Lord desires good actions from us because we are afraid. No, I think the fear of the Lord here is a reverence or awe. Because we are moved by the glory of God, we want to live in the way of the Lord. Pray that your fear might be transformed into awe and reverence today.
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