reverence – Be Still…

Job 37:14-24 – Reverence

Read Job 37:14-24

Now Elihu gets personal with Job. I was a little surprised by his tone. It’s like Elihu is corning Job with those questions asking about how God does what he does. None of us has a clue about “how” God does anything. The fact that God is crazy about us and loves us should boggle any mind. Our own feeble minds can’t begin to fathom the supremeness of God.

Were those unfair questions to Job? They seemed a little odd and out of the blue. I’m not sure where Elihu is taking his rant anymore. It seems like his focus on God’s power has now shifted. It’s as if Elihu thinks Job has some special knowledge or “in” with God. Continue reading “Job 37:14-24 – Reverence”

Ecclesiastes 5:1-7 – Approaching God

Read Ecclesiastes 5:1-7

The language barrier I have with the Mexican girls at the orphanage is sometimes laughable. But one day when I was about on my last nerve because the girls were overly restless and distracted during Bible class, I asked them to imagine Jesus had just entered the room to watch our class. How would they behave then? It was amazing to watch them sit up straight, be quiet, and all the while look around to see if Jesus was actually there.

They approached Jesus, even the thought of him, with respect. It was a delight for me to see. There is no language gap when it comes to loving Jesus and seeking to please him. Solomon now tells us that how we approach God matters.

Nehemiah 7:73-8:12 – Hearing God’s Word

Read Nehemiah 7:73-8:12

Don’t be distracted, the next three chapters will seem a bit out of place. Whatever the context, meaning, or intention, they do stand out. In this passage, we see Ezra gathering the people to continue his mission of making sure they were grounded by following God and abiding by the laws of Moses. I liked how the people even “asked Ezra the scribe to bring out the Book of the Law of Moses, which the Lord had given for Israel to obey.” What did the people do when they saw Ezra open the book? They stood to their feet in a grand display of reverence!

The people living in Jerusalem had been given a “do-over.” Ezra’s mission was to make sure they didn’t fall away from God’s teachings like their ancestors taken into exile had done. The Levites read from the law and offered clear explanation so the people would understand.

Joshua 5:13-15 – Holy Ground

Read Joshua 5:13-15

person bowing on their knees with head down, hands in prayer position

Did you peek at Chapter 6 because you wanted to see how this story ended? I did. I was sure something juicy was going to happen next. Why in the world did these short verses show up to begin the transition of our story? I may have been even more surprised by the angel’s response when asked if he was friend or foe? “Neither one,” he replied. “I am the commander of the Lord’s army.”

I suppose that we’re not necessarily supposed to get chummy with our angel of protection. Joshua clearly understood that this situation necessitated a response of great respect. “At this, Joshua fell with his face to the ground in reverence.” I can picture this so vividly in my mind, can’t you?

Proverbs 15:21-33 – Humble Yourself

Read Proverbs 15:21-33

Would you agree that most people would rather take the shorter route to their destination? Or perhaps the fastest route would be better? To say the least, we are a destination focused society. Think of these examples. On vacation, you are heading somewhere. When reading a book, your destination is the ending of the story. When in school, you are working toward a degree or certification. Whatever the destination is, there is a journey to get there.

What if the journey is more important than the destination? Are we spending too much time focused on outcome that we miss the beauty of the steps to get there? Think of all the people who want to be famous and receive recognition and honor. That is the destination they seek. Verse 33 would say, “Fear of the Lord teaches wisdom; humility precedes honor.” We must humble ourselves first. If our “destination” is fame and glory, we need to first step back, humble ourselves, and prepare our hearts for the honor. We need not discount the beautiful journey we will take to get there and be more focused on serving and blessing others.