Psalm 119:120

Psalm 119:120

A proper fear of God

It’s probable that not many of us have trembled in fear of the Lord. After all, don’t most sermons paint Him as a God of love, a sovereign benefactor who dearly cares for His children and who is only there to guard and guide them? Whist that is so true, when we turn back the pages of history, we find that a number of those who closely interacted with this God were overwhelmed with terror in His presence. Moses hid his face at the burning bush because he was afraid to look at God. (Exodus 3:6.) Isaiah thought he was ruined when he saw the Lord high and lifted up, in the Temple. (Isaiah 6:5.) Even the disciples, Peter, James and John, fell facedown to the ground and were terrified at the transfiguration of Jesus. (Matthew 17:6.) In other words, a close encounter with the Lord is not necessarily a heart-warming, cosy experience!

Should we be afraid in the presence of Almighty God? Yes, we should. When we look at His splendour, His holiness and His beauty and catch a glimpse of the majesty and power of His being, we are exposed for what we are, sinful, pathetic, insignificant creatures that amount to very little when compared to the glory of His Being. When we see His perfection and see our own unholy failure, we should surely bow down in humble reverence. When we consider all that He has done and think of our pride and arrogance despite what little we know, then a sense of holy awe is totally appropriate. Even His laws should engender fear and wonder, for in these He has revealed His heart and the holiness of His Being, and we all fall so far, far short. Yes, there is a place for trembling before Him. 

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