We are better when we fear God

By SHERYL H. BOLDT

God is everywhere. He sees everyone and everything 24/7. There is nothing too difficult for the Creator of the universe. He is beautifully majestic and awesome beyond words.
And so very holy.
I find it difficult to understand (let alone describe) His purity and perfection, but it is glorious to imagine. Magnificence to the max.
Because God is always aware of my every move and thought, the holiness of God and the authority it carries cause me to tremble.
But I’m not afraid of Him. I hope you aren’t either.
It’s important that we never minimize God’s holiness. He is Almighty and deserves our complete respect and obedience. But even when we fail to revere or obey Him, this same mighty God still loves us and wants us to draw near to Him.
Hebrews 4:16 (ESV) says, “Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”
Rather than thinking of God as unapproachable, let’s marvel over the fact that God tells us we can confidently draw near to His throne of grace. This is only possible because of what Jesus did for us at Calvary.
I praise God for His mercy and grace!
When we sin against God, He acts justly to discipline us – and I’m grateful. We desperately need our heavenly Father’s correction when we choose to go our own way. But how much harder would we find it to repent if we were afraid to go to Him in these times of need?
When we mock our Creator, trivialize His standards and disrespect His holiness, it not only grieves Him, but it also prevents us from becoming the person we were meant to be. Instead of living as God’s beloved children, we behave as entitled brats.
Let’s spend time this week praising God for His holiness, thanking Him for His mercy, and asking for His help in the areas in which we struggle. Let’s also ask God to help us fear (revere) Him more, so we’ll have greater respect for His ways.
And then, before our heavenly Father’s presence, let’s thank Him for being a God we’re not afraid to run to, especially when we’ve failed Him.

Sheryl H. Boldt is a sales executive for Wave 94 and author of the blog, TodayCanBeDifferent.net. Connect with her at SherylHBoldt.Wave94@gmail.com.