Word of Encouragement (10/22/2024)
Ascribe to the LORD, O families of the peoples, ascribe to the LORD glory and strength! 29 Ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name; bring an offering and come before him! Worship the LORD in the splendor of holiness; 30 tremble before him, all the earth; yes, the world is established; it shall never be moved. (1 Chron. 16:28-30)
David calls out, “Worship the LORD in the splendor of holiness; tremble before him, all the earth....” He reminds us of God’s holiness, which he describes as splendid (or glorious). When we think of God’s holiness, Isaiah’s vision of God comes to our mind, of course. In it, we see “the LORD sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up” (v. 1). We also see the train of his robe filling the temple (v. 1). The seraphim surround Him, calling one to another, “Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory” (v. 3)! Because of the splendor of His holiness, even the glorified seraphim in heaven must hide their eyes for fear and hide their feet in humility. When Isaiah sees this vision, he cries out, “Woe is me! For I am lost...” (v. 5)!
We often forget about God’s holiness. We want to feel the warmth of comfort and peace in our devotional times. We want to feel loved and encouraged by God. There is nothing wrong with that. But let’s ask what we want in our relationship with God. Is it just the feelings of love and comfort and peace and joy? Or is it real, personal interaction with God that we desire? There is something visceral about our feelings. But feelings are a reaction to something that happens to us, around us, or in us (our thoughts, for example). So, it is foolish to seek certain feelings without thinking about what triggers them. Our time of prayer and meditation should not be used merely as a means to obtain certain feelings we desire.
It is God we should seek and desire, not our feelings. Our feelings come and go, but God is eternal and forever. (And only when our feelings are anchored in the eternal and immutable character of God will they be lasting!) Yes, our feelings are visceral and powerful. They can motivate us to do extraordinary things. But those feelings are, again, a result of something else that happened. Our feelings cannot change reality. We have a name for those feelings that do not conform to reality: delusion or illusion.
When we encounter and interact with God, our feelings will follow. And the feelings we feel will be dictated by God’s character and our condition. God is holy. He is merciful and gracious, too. But He is holy in His mercy and grace. God is 100% merciful; He is 100% gracious; He is 100% holy. He is 100% of each of His attributes: His attributes are His essence. We must not forget that, as God comforts us in His mercy, He is still holy. This does not take away from His mercy or the comfort He gives. Because a holy God comforts us in His mercy, it is infinitely more comforting. But we still tremble before Him in godly fear because He is holy. This keeps us from taking His mercy for granted.
Does your worship reflect the splendor of God’s holiness? Are you humble before Him as you commune with God in reading the Bible, praying, and meditating on Him?