Reverence and awe

 There is a trap we as modern Christians easily fall into.  It is the trap of not believing with our whole being that God is as all-powerful and mighty as indeed He is!  Oh, we say we believe that, but deep down…we often don’t.

We have somehow grown into a shallow familiarity in our dealings with our God:  we see Him as Abba Father, which He certainly is, but then we often tend to interact with Him according to the example that our own fathers modelled for us, not to mention the influence of the skewed picture of fatherhood that society has portrayed for us. 

In these modern times it has become very difficult indeed to see our Heavenly Father in His full role of fatherhood, which encompasses not only love, provision, protection, mercy and  loving-kindness, but also justice and righteousness, and a hatred of sin in all its forms.

Let me show you what the effect of being in God’s presence and seeing Him in a vision, was on people in biblical times.

Dan 10:5,7,8  “I looked up and saw a man dressed in linen clothing, with a belt of pure gold around his waist.  7  Only I, Daniel, saw this vision. The men with me saw nothing, but they were suddenly terrified and ran away to hide. 8  So I was left there all alone to see this amazing vision. My strength left me, my face grew deathly pale, and I felt very weak.”

Rev 1:17 “When I saw him, I fell at his feet as if I were dead. But he laid his right hand on me and said, “Don’t be afraid! I am the First and the Last.”

Ez 1:28  “All around him was a glowing halo, like a rainbow shining in the clouds on a rainy day. This is what the glory of the LORD looked like to me. When I saw it, I fell face down on the ground, and I heard someone’s voice speaking to me.”

Acts 9:4, 7 “He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul! Saul! Why are you persecuting me?”  7 The men who were traveling with him [were terrified and] stood speechless, hearing the voice but seeing no one.”

That is what reverence and awe looks like. 

So my friend, when you are in that space of doubting God’s ability, not fully trusting Him to keep His promises to you:  Go into your prayer closet, fall down on your face or kneel down in deep reverence, keep humbling yourself until you become aware of Who God really is. Day by day. Even if it takes a week, a month,  and longer.  Come to the understanding that He is the all-powerful Creator of everything, magnificent in all His Being, supreme in His Majesty.

And then, from that position of humbleness, say, “Abba!  Father!”

 

 

31 January 2022

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