WISDOM FOR LIVING DAILY DEVOTIONAL
FEBRUARY 6, 2022
TOPIC: TREMBLE AT THE WORD OF GOD
BY T. O. BANSO
“Hear the word of the LORD, you who tremble at His word” (Isaiah 66:5a New King James Version).
There are different attitudes people have to the Word of God. Some don’t want to hear the Word of God at all. Some hear but despise it. Some hear it reluctantly or half-heartedly, but disobey. Some are excited to hear the Word but do nothing about it.
Also, some don’t show initial excitement, but later open their hearts to the Word and obey. Yet, others are quick to hear and quick to obey. This is not an exhaustive list of different attitudes to the Word of God.
Jesus told the parable of the sower in Matthew 13:1-8. He said some seed fell by wayside, some in stony place, some among the thorns, and some on the good ground. This shows the different conditions of the heart of people to the Word of God. He explained the parable in verses 18-23. The parable and its interpretation are also recorded in Mark 4:1-9; 13-20; and Luke 8:1-8, 11-15.
One of the right attitudes towards the Word of God is to tremble at it. Isaiah 66:5a says, “Hear the word of the LORD, you who tremble at His word” (New King James Version). The Hebrew word for tremble in that verse is chared, and it means trembling, fearful, and afraid but it also means reverential. Therefore, to tremble at the Word of God is to fear and reverent His Word. The Amplified Bible renders the verse thus: “Hear the word of the LORD, you who tremble [with awe-filled reverence] at His word.”
Trembling at the Word of God is a result of trembling at His person, His presence, or the mention of His name. If you don’t have reverential fear for the Lord, you can’t have reverential fear for His Word. When you know the person of God, you’ll tremble before Him. He is love, merciful, etc. but He is also a consuming fire (Hebrew 12:29; Deuteronomy 4:24). Psalm 99:1 says, “The LORD reigns; let the peoples tremble! He dwells between the cherubim; let the earth be moved!” (New King James Version).
The psalmist says in Psalm 114:7, “Tremble, O earth, at the presence of the Lord, at the presence of the God of Jacob” (New King James Version). Hear what the LORD says in Jeremiah 5:22a: “Do you not fear Me?’ says the LORD. ‘Will you not tremble at My presence, Who have placed the sand as the bound of the sea, By a perpetual decree, that it cannot pass beyond it?” (New King James Version).
Some people tremble at the words of certain human beings in their lives, not the Word of God. They esteem the words of certain persons than they esteem the Word of God. To some people, the Word of God, including His warnings, instructions, corrections, and final judgment is nothing. They don’t care what God says. He can do whatever He likes. The Bible says even the demons believe and tremble! (James 2:19b). But his destiny is sealed forever. He cannot repent again! But some people don’t tremble at God’s Word! Joel 2:1 says, “Blow the trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm in My holy mountain! Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble; for the day of the LORD is coming, for it is at hand” (New King James Version).
The Word of God is like a mirror. James 1:23-25 says, “For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does” (New King James Version). His Word is also like a fire and a hammer that breaks the rock in pieces (Jeremiah 23:29).
If you tremble at the Word of God, you won’t just hear it and walk away. You’ll go ahead and obey even when you don’t understand why, it doesn’t make sense to you, or you don’t know how it will benefit you. The Good News Translation presents Isaiah 66:5a thus: “Listen to what the LORD says, you that fear and obey him.” Please take note of the phrase “you that fear and obey him.” If you truly fear or reverence God, you will obey Him.
Don’t relate to God irreverently. Don’t become indifferent or rebellious to His Word. Willingly obey His Word. If you are willing and obedient, you shall eat the good of the land (Isaiah 1:19). To obey is better than sacrifice (1 Samuel 15:22b).
King Jehoiakim of Judah didn’t tremble at the Word of God. His officials had listened to all the prophecies of Jeremiah which he dictated to his secretary, Baruch, who read them from a scroll to the people of Judah in the Temple, and King Jehoiakim’s officials. After his officials had informed him of the content of the scroll, Johoiakim instructed Jehudi to get it and read it to him.
Jeremiah 36:23-24 says, “And it happened, when Jehudi had read three or four columns, that the king cut it with the scribe’s knife and cast it into the fire that was on the hearth, until all the scroll was consumed in the fire that was on the hearth. Yet they were not afraid, nor did they tear their garments, the king nor any of his servants who heard all these words” (New King James Version). Did you see that? He was so angry at the prophecies of God’s judgment that he burnt the scroll as if that would prevent the prophecies from coming to pass. What a foolish act!  Take note of verse 24: Yet they were not afraid, nor did they tear their garments, the king nor any of his servants who heard all these words.
Verses 25-26 say, “Nevertheless Elnathan, Delaiah, and Gemariah implored the king not to burn the scroll; but he would not listen to them. And the king commanded Jerahmeel the king’s son, Seraiah the son of Azriel, and Shelemiah the son of Abdeel, to seize Baruch the scribe and Jeremiah the prophet, but the LORD hid them” (New King James Version).
The king’s foolish action was like someone cutting into pieces the only copy of the Bible available and burning it! That was an open rebellion against God. But he could burn the scroll; he couldn’t burn the Word of God. God gave Jeremiah the burnt message again and added more.
Tremble at the Word of God! Don’t be rebellious or stubborn. Jehoiakim’s eleven-year reign during which he did what was evil in the sight of the LORD was terminated by King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon, who came to Jerusalem and captured it. He bound Jehoiakim in chains and led him away to Babylon (2 Chronicles 36:5-6).
It was unfortunate that Jehoiakim didn’t emulate his father, Josiah, a good king, who had trembled at the Word of the LORD when the Book of the Law was found and he heard the content. He tore his clothes and commanded that an enquiry be made from the LORD for him, the people and all Judah, concerning the words of the book. He said the anger of the LORD was burning against them because their ancestors had not obeyed the words in the scroll (2 Kings 22:12-13). They had not obeyed either.
Tremble at the Word of God! Have reverential fear for the Lord and His Word. Obey Him willingly. His commandments are not burdensome, grievous, irksome, difficult, or hard (1 John 5:3b). They are for your good (Deuteronomy 10:13).
TAKE ACTION!
If you are not born again, you need to give your life to Jesus now. I urge you to take the following steps: *Admit you are a sinner and you cannot save yourself and repent of your sins. *Confess Jesus as your Lord and Saviour. *Renounce your past way of life – your relationship with the devil and his works. *Invite Jesus into your life. *As a mark of seriousness to mature in the faith, start attending a Bible-believing and Bible-teaching church. There they will teach you how to grow in the Kingdom of God.
Kindly say this prayer now: O Lord God, I come unto You today. I know I am a sinner and I cannot save myself. I believe that Jesus is the Son of God who died on the cross to save me and resurrected the third day. I repent of my sins and confess Jesus as my Lord and Saviour. I surrender my life to Jesus now and invite Him into my heart. By this prayer, I know I am saved. Thank You, Jesus, for saving me and making me a child of God.
I believe you have said this prayer from your heart. Congratulations! You will need to join a Bible-believing and Bible-teaching church in your area where they will teach you how to live your new life in Christ Jesus. I pray that you flourish like the palm tree and grow like the cedar of Lebanon. May you grow into Christ in all things and become all God wants you to be. I will be glad to hear from you. The Lord be with you.
PRAYER POINTS: Father, help me to tremble at Your Word and obey, not to despise, trivialize, ridicule, or disobey it. Holy Spirit, help every child of God who is behaving irreverently at the Word God and disobeying to genuinely repent. Convict sinners to tremble at the Word of God and obey Him.
(For over 800 in-depth and powerful messages by T. O. Banso, visit www.cedarministry.org).
T. O. Banso is the President, Cedar Ministry International, Abuja, Nigeria.
Phone No: +2348155744752, +2348033113523
WhatsApp No: +2349081295947
Email: cedarministryintl@yahoo.com,
cedarministryng@gmail.com
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