May 21 ~ Exodus 20:20
"Don't be afraid!" Moses replied. "God has come only to test you, so that by obeying him you won't sin."
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
When I was little, I spent a lot of time in the storm cellar. My maternal grandmother had witnessed the aftermath of some killer tornadoes in Heber Springs when she was a child, and she was greatly afraid of storms. We didn’t have “Five Live Dopplar Radar” and “Storm-trackers” when I was a child, so when the clouds darkened, we headed for cover! And to this day, I have a healthy respect – and a somewhat unhealthy fear – of storms and potential tornadoes. But one summer night, while visiting relatives at a farm down the road from my paternal grandparents’, my great-aunt “Babe” stood with me at the creaky screen door that led to the front porch. In the distance, we could see brilliant lightning that illuminated fluffy white clouds with hues of yellow, white and pink. We called it “heat lightning” because it usually was the result of a build-up of daytime heat that brought evening thundershowers.
Nonetheless, my Aunt Babe knelt and wrapped her arms around me and said, “Oh, look… isn’t it pretty?!” She assured me that the lightning would not hurt me… that it was far, far away. We respected the power of lightning… but we were in awe of the beauty of these colorful flashes. This is how I like to think of my relationship with God. I do not fear that he will strike me dead for my sins, like a bolt of lightning – although He surely could. Rather, I am in awe of His power… grace… mercy… love. He didn’t give us laws and rules to punish us… but rather to guide us in our Christian lives. We don’t have to be afraid of God because of our sin… He sent Jesus to free us from that burden and remove our fear. Like my relationship with storms and potential tornadoes… respect for God is healthy… genuine fear is not.
If you are fearful of God today, I suspect you don’t know Him as well as you should. But that’s okay – you can start working this very minute to make a change! Acknowledge that God knows you… warts, sins and all… and He still loves you. Start a dialogue with Him and get to know Him. Explore His majesty – and the depths of His love for you. Humble yourself before Him and show some respect for His power and sovereignty. And love Him - love Him for loving you so well. Don’t be afraid. God’s light is beautiful! “Step up to the screen door” and enjoy it fully!
©2010 Debbie Robus
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