Wednesday, August 14, 2019

Encountering God...

Have you ever noticed the common thread among people when they encounter God? Fear, trembling, awe, humility, and the utmost respect. How does God respond to that kind of reverence? He says, “Don’t be afraid”, or “do not fear”. There’s something about God’s presence that humbles us like nothing else on earth can. God’s presence brings out truth and honesty in us, because we can’t compare to Him. His holiness exposes our unholiness. His righteousness exposes our unrighteousness. His perfection exposes our imperfection and sinfulness. And a His worthiness reveals our unworthiness. When we are in this state of forced humility by comparison, we are totally helpless, vulnerable to His power. God could easily give us what we deserve, but instead, He knows the proper response to His presence is fear and trembling, so He responds to us with Grace, as only He can. “Don’t be afraid”, is one of the greatest examples of God’s love for us. It shows that He recognizes the state of our heart (humility), so He responds with Grace. If only people understood this, if only they could experience it for themselves. They wouldn’t hate God and think negatively about Him. The remedy for man’s sinfulness is God’s presence. His Grace is sufficient. As Romans 2:4 states, it’s God’s kindness that turns people from their sin.

1 One day as Jesus was preaching on the shore of the Sea of Galilee, great crowds pressed in on Him to listen to the word of God. 2 He noticed two empty boats at the water’s edge, for the fishermen had left them and were washing their nets. 3 Stepping into one of the boats, Jesus asked Simon, its owner, to push it out into the water. So He sat in the boat and taught the crowds from there.4 When He had finished speaking, He said to Simon, “Now go out where it is deeper, and let down your nets to catch some fish.”5 “Master,” Simon replied, “we worked hard all last night and didn’t catch a thing. But if You say so, I’ll let the nets down again.” 6 And this time their nets were so full of fish they began to tear! 7 A shout for help brought their partners in the other boat, and soon both boats were filled with fish and on the verge of sinking.8 When Simon Peter realized what had happened, he fell to his knees before Jesus and said, “Oh, Lord, please leave me–I’m too much of a sinner to be around You.” 9 For he was awestruck by the number of fish they had caught, as were the others with him. 10 His partners, James and John, the sons of Zebedee, were also amazed.Jesus replied to Simon, “Don’t be afraid! From now on you’ll be fishing for people!” 11 And as soon as they landed, they left everything and followed Jesus. Luke 5:1-11

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