Tuesday, June 25, 2024
During my trip to Honduras, I went snorkeling in the ocean. It was a gray, rainy day … until I looked under the water. The rainbow coral and dazzling fish took my breath away. They were so close, I thought I might accidentally bump into them. However, when my dad tried to dive down, the pressure forced him back to the surface before he could get close. The nearer he got to the coral, the farther away it seemed, the beauty just out of reach.
Snorkeling was an incredible experience, but even more amazing is the God who designed the coral reefs. God is our King and Creator, just as much as he is our Father and Friend. It is easy for us to focus on the parts of God that we like the best—his kindness and love. But, sometimes, we ignore the fact that he is also just, powerful, and awesome.
When we forget God’s majesty, it leads us to believe we can get away with anything. God is merciful, so it doesn’t matter if we gossip or cheat or steal. He will forgive us anyway, right?
This is the kind of perspective that got Ananias and Sapphira into trouble. When God struck them down for their lies, “great fear gripped the entire church and everyone else who heard what had happened” (Acts 5:11).
The term “fear of the Lord” makes us uncomfortable. Doesn’t perfect love expel all fear (1 John 4:18)? However, fear of the Lord is a form of awe and worship, the acknowledgement that God is perfect and all powerful. God’s presence draws us to glorify and revere him.
Isaiah 40:28
Have you never heard? Have you never understood? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of all the earth. He never grows weak or weary. No one can measure the depths of his understanding.
Like the coral in the ocean, the closer we get to God, the more beauty we realize there is to discover. God’s character is a bottomless well—as our knowledge of him grows, we find there is still more to learn.
If we truly want to worship God, we need to know his full character, and we can only do that by spending time with him. Every day we have the opportunity to grow in our fear of the Lord.
Questions:
What aspects of God’s character do you tend to focus on? How can you spend some time today to get to know God personally?
Next Steps:
Write out a list of God’s attributes. Spend some time today reading the Bible and look for who God is as you read. Terra Leigh Cobble’s plan, The Bible Recap, is very helpful to learn more about God’s character.
Prayer:
Father, you are an awesome God. I am blown away by your power and majesty, and the fact that you want to be near me. Please draw me closer to you today. Fill me with awe and trust, and help me learn more about who you are. I love you. Amen.
Series Theme Verse:
Psalm 37:3-4
3 Trust in the Lord and do good. Then you will live safely in the land and prosper. 4 Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you your heart’s desires.
This post was written by Lydia Snyder, a regular contributor to the LivingItOut Devotional.