April 6
Deuteronomy 9-10
Psalm 41:1-6
Proverbs 10:15-17
Luke 7:24-50
Fear and Reverence
“And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God ask of you, but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in obedience to Him, to love Him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and to observe the Lord’s commands and decrees that I am giving you today for your good?” Deuteronomy 10:12 NIV
Earlier this week, we talked about loving and trusting God. To be “a man after God’s own heart” there is something else that we cannot forget. King David knew God intimately and loved Him dearly, but He never forgot that He alone is God. David never lost his sense of awe and reverence for the Creator of the universe. His close, personal relationship with God never allowed him to think they were peers, buddies, or pals. David recognized who God is and never tried to elevate his own position in the relationship. I cringe when I hear people calling God “the man upstairs” or speaking about Him in ways that are too familiar and fail to acknowledge His absolute supremacy and complete authority. The Bible tells us over and over that we are to fear God and be in awe of Him. “For great is the Lord and most worthy of praise; He is to be feared above all gods. For all the gods of the nations are idols, but the Lord made the heavens.” I Chronicles 16:25-26 (NIV) “Let all the Earth fear the Lord, let all the people of the world revere Him. For He spoke and it came to be. He commanded, and it stood firm.” Psalm 33:8-9 (NIV) “I tell you, my friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body and after that can do no more. But I will show you whom you should fear; Fear Him who, after the killing of the body, has the authority to throw you into Hell. Yes, I tell you, fear Him.” Luke 12:4-5 (NIV) God is our loving, merciful, gracious Father, but He is also the holy, just, righteous Lord of the universe. We cannot begin to reconcile those two things in our minds, and yet we cannot ignore either reality. The holy, majestic, all-powerful, Lord of lords and King of kings loves me and wants to have a relationship with me. He desires to spend time with me and help me. He cares about what concerns me. As I grow closer to Him, my reverence and fear of Him are increasing. Intimate knowledge of Him reveals my own shortcomings. Recognition of who I am reveals His mercy and grace and fills me with love and thanksgiving. Fear and reverence go hand in hand with love and trust.
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