It had been argued that many believers love God and believe in Jesus, but we don’t fear God. Yet, we are actually told to do so. Don’t believe that reality? Consider Today’s Holy Nougat.
Psalms 33:8 NIV
[8] Let all the earth fear the Lord; let all the people of the world revere him.
Fear and Revere
Please note that this invitation is not only reserved for the righteous. It is as if on recollection of God’s creative goodness, the psalmist realises that everyone is subject to the Creator. I also note that erets isn’t restricted to humans, it could include nations as well as the earth, namely all creation.
This is noteworthy, as the call is for creation to fear God, yare. That is, dread, fright, or reverence. Again, we are drawn to Psalm 100:3a, which reminds us that God is Creator, and we’re all God’s creation. We also note that the call is repeated, with greater emphasis on the world’s inhabitants. In that sense, we’ve moved from the why to the who.
Self-Check
Do we see ourselves as part of God’s who?
Application
Siblings, this is a call for reverence and fear. Reverence, in regard to being God’s creation; fear, as we recognize that the creator can so easily destroy or discard the creation. Jeremiah 18 and Isaiah 64 remind us of this vulnerability in the illustration of the potter’s wheel. At points, the potter reverted the clay to factory settings and begins the process once again. There is scope for fear as the remodeling process isn’t always fun.
Yet, by God’s grace, we are still alive and in the position to revere God, no matter how painful the process is that we are undergoing. The question is, are we open to the task?
Point to Ponder
If all creation is called to fear and reverence God, are we helping others to recognize that call?
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May all we seek be found in Christ
