Devotional

Fear and Favor of God

We have all been well groomed as Christians to memorize and live the greatest commandment Jesus gave us, in summary format: ‘love God, love people’.  However, I would argue that we haven’t been taught to apply an equally important discipline, which is to: ‘fear God, hate evil’.  Perhaps this is a t-shirt we need to wear :-) Why is this so important you ask? It's because the fear of God leads to the favor of God.

What is the Fear of God?

An acronym for the fear of God I was prompted to write is:

Fully Enraptured Awe and Reverence of God.  

Fear of God requires a life of complete commitment and obedience to God. It’s living a life knowing God loves you so much that we have the ultimate respect and desire to please Him and Him alone above anything and anyone, and hating evil as He does.

“To fear the Lord is to hate evil; I hate pride and arrogance, evil behavior and perverse speech.” (‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭8‬:‭13‬)

Fearing God is living a life with integrity.  Living to please Him when others are not looking.

“Whoever fears the Lord walks uprightly, but those who despise him are devious in their ways.” (‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭14‬:‭2‬ )

What are the Benefits of Fearing God?

Over time I have collected this list that is so incredible. Fearing God results in:

• Wisdom… Proverbs 9:10

• Protection… Proverbs 14:26

• Abundant life….Proverbs 8:35; 14:27

• Long life…. Proverbs 10:27

• Food…Psalm 111:5

• Love and compassion…  Psalm 103:17&13

• Depart from evil…. Proverbs 16:6

• Avoids extremes….Ecclesiastes 7:18

• Sure foundation, rich salvation, wisdom and knowledge…. Isaiah 33:6

• Riches, honor, enduring wealth and prosperity…. Proverbs 8:18

• Lacking nothing…Psalm 34:9

• Favor from the Lord….Proverbs 8:35

I’m guessing there are more, but you can clearly see how the fear of God leads to the favor of God!

The fear of the Lord is not something we need to manufacture. It is bred and nurtured within us through a life surrendered to God. In Isaiah 11:2 we learn that the Holy Spirit is described as the “Spirit of the knowledge and fear of the Lord,” so we can ask Him to make this real to us.

An excellent book I'm now reading on this topic is: The Awe of God, by John Bevere.

Financial Update

The Great Corporate Debt Wall

Over the past several years, many companies took advantage of historically low interest rates to borrow money cheaply. During covid and the following years, businesses issued trillions of dollars in bonds and loans to finance expansion, pursue acquisitions, and strengthen their balance sheets. At the time, borrowing costs were near record lows, making debt an attractive source of capital.

Now, that debt is coming due.

Over the next few years, a massive amount of corporate debt is set to mature, creating what economists call a "debt wall." Simply put, companies that borrowed at interest rates of 2% or 3% may now have to refinance that same debt at rates that are significantly higher. For some businesses, this could mean millions, or even billions, of dollars in additional interest expenses.

Higher borrowing costs often force companies to make difficult decisions. Businesses may delay expansion plans, reduce hiring, cut costs, or postpone major investments. Some heavily indebted firms could even struggle to refinance altogether, increasing the risk of restructurings or bankruptcies.

At the same time, the debt wall does not automatically signal doom; diligent investors have been preparing for these times. Many large corporations entered this period with strong balance sheets and ample cash reserves. Companies in sectors such as technology and healthcare may be well-positioned to manage higher financing costs. On top of that, if interest rates continue to decline, refinancing conditions could improve considerably.

There’s both risk and opportunities embedded in this era of the market we’re headed into; the best position to be in, is “ready”.

The coming wave of debt maturities may not trigger a recession, but it is likely to influence corporate decision-making, investment strategies, and economic growth for years to come. For investors and business leaders alike, understanding this transition may prove essential in navigating the next phase of the market cycle.

Tech Update

Enriching Uranium

There has been so much talk in the last few years about enriching uranium, most recently as it pertains to Iran’s state of readiness to produce and deploy nuclear weapons. But what does this term mean and how difficult a process is it?

Natural uranium (uranium 238) that is mined is 99.3% stable and unable to be used in a raw format to create nuclear fission, which is needed for nuclear power generation reactors and weapons. The remaining 0.7% (uranium 235) is fissile, meaning it can easily split apart to release massive amounts of energy.

Enrichment is the chemical and physical process of boosting the concentration of uranium so it can be used to create energy or weapons.

Enrichment involves a highly complex process of converting mined solid uranium into a gas, then using centrifuges to spin and separate out the valuable fissile uranium.

The main distinction is that you only need low enriched uranium, with less than 5% concentration for nuclear power generation. However, weapons grade uranium requires a concentration closer to 90%.  Here is the tricky part. Going from 0.7% to 60% enrichment might take years of effort and thousands of centrifuge hours. However, once at 60%, the final "push" to reach 90% might only take a few weeks, because a significant portion of the "heavy lifting" has already been completed.  

This explains why the U.S and the west were so concerned at the state of where Iran was in their enrichment process. Just recently, Iranian negotiators claimed to have a stockpile of approximately 460 kilograms of 60% enriched uranium, enough to make 11 nuclear weapons, and boasted that the material could be enriched to weapons-grade levels (90%) in about ten days!

An evil empire with evil intent and stated mandate to destroy Israel and America is at the brink of putting their nuclear ambitions into practice. Thankfully, under the leadership of President Trump, with God’s guidance, we may be close to putting this at bay.

Health Nuggets

Cell Regeneration

Cell regeneration is the body’s way of replacing damaged or worn-out cells with new ones, and it happens through normal tissue maintenance, stem cells, and, in some cases, cell reprogramming. Regeneration is strongest in tissues like skin and blood, while others, such as muscle, regenerate more slowly or less completely.

What Regeneration Means

Regeneration refers to replacing or restoring damaged cells, tissues, or organs so they can keep functioning. Adult stem cells are a major part of this process because they can divide and specialize into the cell types needed by a tissue.

Ways to Support Cell Health

For everyday support of cell repair, the strongest evidence points to lifestyle factors that reduce damage and support stem cell function:

• Regular exercise

• Good sleep

• Not smoking and limiting alcohol

• A nutrient-rich diet with enough protein, omega-3 fats, and antioxidants

• Maintaining a healthy body weight and reducing chronic inflammation

Here’s a practical plan to support cell repair and regeneration through daily habits:

Diet: eat enough protein so your body has amino acids to rebuild tissue; include colorful fruits and vegetables for vitamins, minerals, and plant compounds that help limit oxidative stress; get healthy fats from foods like olive oil, nuts, seeds, avocado, and fatty fish; stay hydrated, because normal cell function depends on fluid balance and nutrient transport.

Sleep: aim for 7-9 hours most nights; keep a regular sleep schedule; treat sleep as repair time: deep sleep supports hormone balance, tissue recovery, and immune function.

Exercise: use a mix of aerobic activity and strength training; moderate, consistent exercise helps circulation, metabolism, and muscle cell renewal; avoid long stretches of inactivity, which can slow recovery and worsen inflammation.

Lifestyle: don’t smoke; limit alcohol; manage stress with walks; breathing exercise, or other routines that help you recover; maintain a healthy body weight, since excess inflammation can interfere with repair.

Supplements: most supplements are not magic ‘cell regenerations’; the most useful ones are usually the ones that correct a real deficiency, such as vitamins D3, B12, B3, iron, or omega-3s when needed; avoid high-dose antioxidants stacks unless a clinician recommends them, because more is not always better.

A simple daily formula is: eat enough protein, move regularly, sleep consistently, and reduce smoking/alcohol and chronic stress. That combination does more for cell repair than most trendy ‘detox’ or ‘regeneration’ products.

Note: Health Nuggets are opinions and not medical advice.

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