Reverence and Awe

In our last devotional, I asked this question:

What do you imagine you would do if Jesus Christ showed up in your living room or in your church?

Maybe you imagine that if Jesus actually revealed himself as a physical presence you would run up to Him and dance around and give Him a hug.  That’s a great image.

Here’s another image.  John the Beloved, probably Jesus’ best friend on earth told of his first meeting with Christ in Revelation 1.

I turned around to see the voice that was speaking to me. And when I turned I saw seven golden lampstands, and among the lampstands was someone "like a son of man," dressed in a robe reaching down to his feet and with a golden sash around his chest. His head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow, and his eyes were like blazing fire. His feet were like bronze glowing in a furnace, and his voice was like the sound of rushing waters. In his right hand he held seven stars, and out of his mouth came a sharp double-edged sword. His face was like the sun shining in all its brilliance. When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. Then he placed his right hand on me and said: "Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last (Revelation 1:12-17a).

Whatever you have imagined you would do when you see Jesus, it’s more likely that you would do exactly what John did.  You would fall at His feet as though dead because you fear Him.  It’s not that you are terrified of Him in some kind of evil way as if He might strike you or otherwise hurt you.  It’s that the immensity of His awesomeness and holiness is impossible to grasp.  The sight of Christ like this would completely overwhelm you and me.

Yet Christ, true to His nature, reaches down and touches us and says, “Don’t be afraid.”

With reverence and awe it is time for you to establish your personal worship connection with the Lord.

Thank you.  God bless you - on your journey today!