January 10

Awe

Every day we must stand in awe of the Lord Jesus! He nailed the indictment against us to His cross and carried our sins far away, never to be remembered against us again. Because His record of righteousness had been credited to our account, we stand in awe of Him as if had never sinned.

We are aware of Him because His Holy Spirit has drawn us to Him and revealed Him to us. Without the moving of the Spirit, we would be stumbling around in thick darkness, listening in vain for the song of life, searching without hope through the books and treatises of mankind for a truth we can count on. But His Spirit came to us and convicted us of our sin and stupidity, pointed our proud hearts toward Jesus and led us in a sinner’s prayer.

We stand in awe!

Jesus has promised to meet us at the place of worship in spirit and truth every day. He will take our heartfelt words of thanksgiving to be His dwelling place. He will rule in us from His throne in our hearts. He will take us all, divided by race and rancor, tongue and tribe, culture and custom, pride and position, power and poverty, and make us a new nation, one royal priesthood, one chosen generation, and one holy race. This He will do by personally pulling down the walls of hostility that divide us.

We stand in awe!

To worship is to make the journey to Mt. Zion where an enumerable company of angels in joyful assembly continually sing His holiness and we  join their song. We take our place with the saints of the ages in that gallery of heroes of the faith and join their song as well. In our spirits we sense the moment when the elders before the Throne rise to cast their crowns at Jesus’s feet and we do the same, judging all our accomplishments, trophies, and awards as worthy only to be thrown at His feet.

We are in awe!

Scripture:
Revelation 4:6-11
In the center, around the throne, were four living creatures…. Day and night they never stop saying: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come.” Whenever the living creatures give glory, honor and thanks to him who sits on the throne and who lives for ever and ever, the twenty-four elders fall down before him who sits on the throne, and worship him who lives for ever and ever. They lay their crowns before the throne and say: “You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being.”

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, today I pledge all my energy—heart, soul, mind, and strength—to the Sacrifice of Praise! I hold nothing back. There is no other more important event or enterprise—only the joy of ministering to You, giving You the glory due unto Your name. I give myself no rest until awe is turned to praise, respect is turned to adoration and our love for You is both seen and heard. I stand in awe of You today. All others fade to periphery as You shine with growing intensity until You are all I see. In Your glorious name. Amen.

Song:
Stand in Awe
Words and Music: Mark Altrogge

You are beautiful beyond description,
Too marvelous for words,
Too wonderful for comprehension,
Like nothing ever seen or heard.
Who can grasp your infinite wisdom?
Who can fathom the depth of your love?
You are beautiful beyond description,
Majesty enthroned above.

And I stand, I stand in awe of you.
I stand, I stand in awe of you.
Holy God, to whom all praise is due,
I stand in awe of you.

Semper Reformanda!
Stephen Phifer

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