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30 – Awe in the Deep
The church today loves to focus on God’s love and grace and comfort, but too often they seem to forget that God is to be revered. Even feared. He is love, but He is also majesty and justice and judgment. Come to the deep and explore things we seldom seem to feel today: true awe and reverence.
Show Notes
If we don’t know the awe of God for ourselves, if we don’t experience and understand what it is to fear a holy and mighty God, how can we write the whole truth of who God is, of what God is? Yes, He loves us and extends grace and all the beautiful aspects we love to focus on. But friends, never lose sight of the truth that God is more than the pretty side. He has a fierce side. A jealous side. A fearful side. He is not to be taken lightly, he is to be revered. More than anyone or anything else in your life. When we love Him for all of who He is, our writing will take on new depth and truth. And our readers will benefit.
Links
Karen’s blog post for the Steve Laube Agency Blog: This is Why We Write
Scriptures
Exodus 19:16-19
16 On the morning of the third day there was thunder and lightning, with a thick cloud over the mountain, and a very loud trumpet blast. Everyone in the camp trembled. 17 Then Moses led the people out of the camp to meet with God, and they stood at the foot of the mountain. 18 Mount Sinai was covered with smoke, because the Lord descended on it in fire. The smoke billowed up from it like smoke from a furnace, and the whole mountain trembled violently. 19 As the sound of the trumpet grew louder and louder, Moses spoke and the voice of God answered him.
Exodus 20:18-20
18 When the people saw the thunder and lightning and heard the trumpet and saw the mountain in smoke, they trembled with fear. They stayed at a distance 19 and said to Moses, “Speak to us yourself and we will listen. But do not have God speak to us or we will die.” 20 Moses said to the people, “Do not be afraid. God has come to test you, so that the fear of God will be with you to keep you from sinning.”
Proverbs 9:10
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.
Nahum 1:2-3; 5-6
2 The Lord is a jealous and avenging God; the Lord takes vengeance and is filled with wrath. The Lord takes vengeance on his foes and vents his wrath against his enemies. 3 The Lord is slow to anger but great in power; the Lord will not leave the guilty unpunished. His way is in the whirlwind and the storm, and clouds are the dust of his feet… 5 The mountains quake before him and the hills melt away. The earth trembles at his presence, the world and all who live in it. 6 Who can withstand his indignation? Who can endure his fierce anger? His wrath is poured out like fire; the rocks are shattered before him.
Hebrews 10:31
It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.
Isaiah 40:12-15; 25-26
12 Who has measured the waters in the hollow of his hand, or with the breadth of his hand marked off the heavens. Who has held the dust of the earth in a basket, or weighed the mountains on the scales and the hills in a balance? 13 Who can fathom the Spirit of the Lord, or instruct the Lord as his counselor? 14 Whom did the Lord consult to enlighten him, and who taught him the right way? Who was it that taught him knowledge, or showed him the path of understanding? 15 Surely the nations are like a drop in a bucket; they are regarded as dust on the scales; he weighs the islands as though they were fine dust… 25 “To whom will you compare me? Or who is my equal?” says the Holy One. 26 Lift up your eyes and look to the heavens: Who created all these? He who brings out the starry host one by one and calls forth each of them by name. Because of his great power and mighty strength, not one of them is missing.
Exodus 6:1
“…The Lord said to Moses, ‘Now you will see what I will do to Pharaoh: Because of my mighty hand he will let them go; because of my mighty hand he will drive them out of his country.”
Isaiah 6:1-5
6 In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord, high and exalted, seated on a throne; and the train of his robe filled the temple. 2 Above him were seraphim, each with six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying. 3 And they were calling to one another:
“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory.”
4 At the sound of their voices the doorposts and thresholds shook and the temple was filled with smoke. 5 “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.”
Psalms 65:4-8
4 Blessed are those you choose and bring near to live in your courts! We are filled with the good things of your house, of your holy temple. 5 You answer us with awesome deeds of righteousness, O God our Savior, the hope of all the ends of the earth and of the farthest seas, 6 who formed the mountains by your power, having armed yourself with strength, 7 who stills the roaring of the seas, the roaring of their waves, and the tumult of the peoples. They who dwell in the ends of the earth stand in awe of Your signs; You make the dawn and the sunset shout for joy.
Job 38:1-7
Then the Lord spoke to Job out of the storm. He said: 2 “Who is this that obscures my plans with words without knowledge? 3 Brace yourself like a man; I will question you, and you shall answer me. 4 Where were you when I laid the earth’s foundation? Tell me, if you understand. 5 Who marked off its dimensions? Surely you know! Who stretched a measuring line across it? 6 On what were its footings set, or who laid its cornerstone 7 while the morning stars sang together and all the angels shouted for joy?”
Hebrews 12:28-29
28 Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, 29 for our “God is a consuming fire.”
Ecclesiastes 5:1-2
Guard your steps when you go to the house of God. Go near to listen rather than to offer the sacrifice of fools, who do not know that they do wrong. Do not be quick with your mouth, do not be hasty in your heart to utter anything before God. God is in heaven and you are on earth, so let your words be few.
We want to hear from you!
What helps you remember God’s awesome nature?
Gods awesome strength……..Gods awesome love
Yes! Nothing is more powerful than God, and no one loves more perfectly–or more fiercely!
His Word. Nature. His people. A song/music. A poem. Wonderful writing–or even sometimes rather unremarkable writing! Humor or cleverness. Art! Reminders are everywhere, all the time!
“Reminders are everywhere…” I agree, Patti! May our eyes and heart be opened to them!
The verses in Isaiah 6: 1-5 above are powerful examples of how awesome and mighty God is. He is God and we are not. Yes, He is our loving and kind Heavenly Father, but also the omnipotent and righteous judge!
“Omnipotent and righteous judge” – great phrase, Jill!