My little addition to Our Daily Bread (8/5/11):
God arises. His enemies scatter,
and those who hate Him flee from His presence.
and those who hate Him flee from His presence.
As smoke is blown away,
so You blow [them] away.
As wax melts before the fire,
so the wicked are destroyed before God
so You blow [them] away.
As wax melts before the fire,
so the wicked are destroyed before God
(Psalm 68:1-2 HCSB)
“Awesome” unfortunately is a word that has “like totally” lost it’s meaning through several “radical” decades in the vernacular. When I entitled this entry, I fully meant it in the REAL sense (which for those still lost in the slang is an adjective meaning “inspiring awe” or “showing or characterized by awe” according to Dictionary.com). This picture of individuals melting like wax in His presence is - let’s say awe-inspiring. “Awe” of course is a word that cannot be pronounced properly without a dropping of the jaw, which is exactly what how I see it in relation to our God: if I were to even get a glimpse of God in His true majesty, dumbfounded, jaw-dropping shock would be the best I could muster.
While Christ has made it possible for us to “approach the throne of grace with boldness” (Hebrews 4:16), one thing I feel my Protestant upbringing has lacked is the devout reverence for who God really is that is fostered in more liturgical “high church” forms of worship. We focus on the chorus that “I am a friend of God” without fully stopping to think of the question in the verse “Who am I that You are mindful of me?” in light of who He is as Author, Creator, Sustainer, and Sovereign over all that is, was, and ever will be. That He picked me up out of the muck and is choosing to shape me into a tool for His use – now THAT is awesome.
While Christ has made it possible for us to “approach the throne of grace with boldness” (Hebrews 4:16), one thing I feel my Protestant upbringing has lacked is the devout reverence for who God really is that is fostered in more liturgical “high church” forms of worship. We focus on the chorus that “I am a friend of God” without fully stopping to think of the question in the verse “Who am I that You are mindful of me?” in light of who He is as Author, Creator, Sustainer, and Sovereign over all that is, was, and ever will be. That He picked me up out of the muck and is choosing to shape me into a tool for His use – now THAT is awesome.
Also on the theme of real respect, I also wanted to pass-on/blog this quote that challenged me from the “NIV Devotions for Men” Newsletter I signed up for through BibleGateway.com. This comes from Zondervan’s New Men’ Devotional Bible and prompted by God’s charge to an aging Joshua in Joshua 13:1-7:
Perhaps we should take a cue from God in our attitude toward older adults. From an early age most of us were taught to respect our elders. However, too often we confuse politeness for respect. What's the difference? Politeness might include offering a hand to senior adults when they struggle with steps or making awkward small talk with aging relatives at family gatherings. Respect, however, would include realizing that with their years of challenges and experiences these adults are a rich, God-given resource.
Andy Jentes
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