The LORD GOD ALMIGHTY!

I do not think words can adequately describe who or what God is in comparison to us! And I will also go as for as to say that; “I believe that you as an individual don’t understand in your heart who He is, unless you can think of a time in your life where you have become totally broken and ashamed by the realization of how unworthy you are to exist before Him as the recipient of His Love”.

So many look upon God as the Big Bopper, or the Big Guy in the Sky or the Heavenly Grandfather… and so many other trite terms that minimize His rightful place over creation! I believe that there is a terrible price to be paid for the flippant way our society has brushed aside the Living God.

I don’t line up with a single thing that the Muslims teach about Allah! But I do think that they have one up on us as Christians in the way that they revere and respect the name of Allah and the writings of Muhammad. In the countries they dominate it is a death sentence to mistreat or disrespect the Koran or the name of Allah, and in the period leading up to the birth of Jesus the Israelites shared a similar fervency and respect for the writings by God’s prophets as well as for the name of God… in fact they revered His name so much they were not allowed to write or say his actual name.

How did we lose our reverence for God? How did we get to the point of showing up in His house to worship Him and use the pew as an extension of the bed we just left to finish catching up on our sleep? That we would get ants in our pants if the preacher went even a few minutes over on the clock while giving us Gods message! Where did our love, respect and even fear of the God who redeemed us go?

Is there a price to pay for this as well?

Hebrews 10:31 It is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

Paul even tells us:

Philippians 2:12 work out your salvation with fear and trembling

If this is the way you approach the God I serve then I would be afraid. Very afraid… But if you have put God into the proper place He deserves in your life… the fear or actual terror of who He is and what we deserve from God translates into something entirely different…

1 John 4:18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear

We become completely His, just as your child is completely yours… your children fear you in a sense of respect… but they are not afraid of you! They Love you too much and know that you Love them too much to ever do anything to make them afraid that you would harm them, and God Loves us even more than that. He has promised in several places in the Bible to Love and care for us and that He only has our collective best interests at heart for why He does what He does.

Romans 8:28 And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.

But too many Christians become all too familiar with the Love side of God, and forget that He is also the same wrathful God who told Joshua in the Old Testament to kill every man, woman, child and animal in the depraved and evil cities He gave over to His wrath… and one day He will once again turn His wrath towards this earth in a way like He has never done before…

So remember that, this side of God is still very much a part of who He is today the next time you come to stand before Him… He is God, deserving of your Love and Worship… and yes, He also deserves your Fear and Respect.

He is The Lord God Almighty, creator and sustainer of all there was, is and all that will ever be.

If you have not learned to willingly bow to Him in your life, you will one day bow before Him in your death!