Reverence...
There's a lot of talk about the sword of judgment coming against Israel. It's disheartening, to say the least, but this judgment comes after repeated calls to repent & turn back to the Lord.
The Lord says to Ezekiel: "Sigh therefore, son of man, with a breaking heart, and sigh with bitterness before their eyes. And it shall be when they say to you, 'Why are you sighing?' that you shall answer, 'Because of the news; when it comes, every heart will melt, all hands will be feeble, every spirit will faint, and all knees will be weak as water. Behold, it is coming and shall be brought to pass,' says the Lord GOD."" Ezekiel 21:6-7
The picture the Lord gives of hearts melting, hands growing feeble, knees buckling, & spirits fainting should stir our hearts! Israel's rebellion & selfishness were rooted in sin, but at the heart of their rebellion was a lack of reverence for the Lord.
Hebrews 10:31 reads, "It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God."
And when the apostles were confronted by religious authorities & commanded to stop preaching in Jesus' name, they responded, "We ought to obey God rather than men." Acts 5:29
That's reverence!
Where reverence for the Lord is lacking, sin finds room to flourish. But where reverence is present, obedience becomes a priority.
We have to ask ourselves: Do we truly have reverence for the Lord? Do our lives reflect a holy awe of who He is, or have we become so comfortable with His grace that we've lost sight of His holiness?
Jesus calls us His friends, and we know Him as our Savior, but He is also our Lord! He is holy, righteous, sovereign, & worthy of our surrender. He holds all life in His hands.
May today, & every day, be a day when we walk in reverence before the Creator of the universe. May we draw near to Him with the confidence of His love and grace, but never lose the awe & wonder of His holiness.
May we know Him as our Friend and Savior, but never forget that He is our King!
-To Know Jesus. To Live on Mission.