Sunday’s worship at our church included some thunderous wonders! About 15 minutes into the service, a thunderstorm broke outside and with it came lightning that struck somewhere very, very close to the building. The building glowed white and then shook as we all felt the concussion. Many, including me thought lightning had hit the building, for it felt that an explosion had ripped through the building. One little boy later asked his Mom if we would be having ‘special effects’ every Sunday. After the initial shock passed, I prayed intensely for the Lord’s protection to rest on His people. It was a reminder of the awesome power of His Creation, a truly humbling experience that, at least for me, actually deepened my awe and worship.
Disciple, do you stand in awe of God?
When you come near to Him, do you come with true reverence, with an attitude of humility?
In my Scripture reading today, I read of the sons of Aaron who forgot the ‘otherness’ of the LORD, who presumed to approach Him on their own terms. The little story shocks me. Take a look. "Nadab and Abihu took their censers, put fire in them and added incense; and they offered unauthorized fire before the Lord, contrary to his command. So fire came out from the presence of the Lord and consumed them, and they died before the Lord." (Leviticus 10:1-2, NIV) Their failure to recognize the holy awesomeness of the LORD caused their death. Their example is not the only one in the Bible. Uzzah put his hand on the Ark of the Covenant and died for his familiarity. (2 Samuel 6) Acts 5 recounts the story of Annanias and Sapphira, early Christians who lied to the Holy Spirit and died!
In this era of grace, knowing God as we do through Jesus Christ, our Brother, we can easily forget His majesty. When life does not go our way, when our prayers seem to go unanswered, if we have made Him too small we risk offering the ‘strange fire’ of our complaints, speaking irreverently before Him. Better that we kneel in humility, receiving the grace we need for each day. He invites us to "approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need." (Hebrews 4:16, NIV) Do not forget the context of that invitation which is that we have a great High Priest in Christ Jesus, whose intercession on our behalf opens the door to the Throne Room of the Father! We sin against the Lord’s holiness if we rush in with dirty hands and heart.
In recent weeks, the course of life has led me through many storms. One month ago, I had surgery to remove an intestinal blockage. It was a time of real testing, a thunderstorm that brought winds that shook me! Several dear friends of mine are dealing with major health issues at this time, cancer being the pre-dominant thing. They are servants of the Lord and I am tempted to accuse God of forgetting them, but then I am reminded that “His ways are higher than my ways!” I pray for renewal of my understanding of His awesomeness, so that I will trust Him with greater faith, praying as He invites me to pray for the healing of my friends, yet humbly accepting each day from Him. The essence of holy worship is that kind of acceptance. We exalt Him when we continue to serve Him – in the good times and the bad times, when we love Him equally when the sun shines and when the storms rage.
Sunday, I had a kind of Isaiah moment when our worship center shook. The thunder was a stark reminder of just how small I am and how great He is. I pray I do not soon forget that lesson. Here’s a word from the Word. May the Lord bless it and make the truth of His words a guide for life.
"In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord seated on a throne, high and exalted, and the train of his robe filled the temple. Above him were seraphs, each with six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying. And they were calling to one another: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory.”
At the sound of their voices the doorposts and thresholds shook and the temple was filled with smoke.
“Woe to me!” I cried. “I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the Lord Almighty.” Then one of the seraphs flew to me with a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with tongs from the altar. With it he touched my mouth and said, “See, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for.”
Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?” And I said, “Here am I. Send me!” (Isaiah 6:1-8, NIV)
__________________
Father, I come today thankful for Jesus Christ,
My Savior, My Brother, My King.
Thank you for thunderstorms that help me to remember that
You are God and I am not!
I ask Your healing touch for my friends who are walking through
difficult situations, who are suffering with pain and uncertainty.
Steady them with the comforting Presence of the Holy Spirit.
May the responses of my heart to the trials of life reflect
a genuine reverence and respect of Your awesomeness.
Keep me from the sin of presumption, yet let me love You as I ought.
I am Your servant.
I worship You- Holy, Awesome Lord of the Angel Armies,
Creator of the Universe, Beginning and End.
Amen.
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