I remember the fear I felt one night when I was a little boy. We were in a fourth-floor apartment in New York City visiting my aunt and uncle. My brother and I had gone to bed and the lights were off. Suddenly I looked at the window and saw a man on the fire escape. He was leaning against the glass with his hands cupped around his eyes like a SCUBA mask, peering into the darkness at my brother and me. I shot out of bed and ran for help. I did not panic, but I tell you what–I certainly would not be able to sleep any time soon.
The adults were not terrified. But they felt an appropriate level of caution, (My dad aimed his flashlight at the man for an hour, watching his every move!) The man stood out there on the fire escape in cutoff shorts and shirtless, going from one floor to another. He smoked a few cigarettes and did nothing. But his behavior raised concerns and we felt a healthy respect for the presence of danger. (They called the police and an officer dropped by–THE NEXT DAY!)
Do you tremble with respect when you are in the presence of God’s word?
“I will look favorably on this kind of person, one who is humble, submissive in spirit, and trembles at My word” Isaiah 66:2.
To tremble at God’s word means to respect it, to hold it in such high esteem that you would not dare to misinterpret it, preach it incorrectly, or simply neglect it.
Do you tremble at the risk of mishandling God’s word? One well-known preacher says some things in the Bible are inspirational, but “not necessarily true.” Another says he needs to take breaks from reading his Bible. There are those who preach entire sermons without discussing scripture. How is that possible?
I have trafficked in words my entire life. When I taught high school literature classes, I could not get through a day without sharing great quotes and talking about the amazing use of language—whether from Chaucer, Shakespeare, or Mark Twain. But to speak in a church and NOT talk about the greatest book ever written? How is that possible? To preach on anything else indicates you do not “tremble at God’s word.” You do not fear the word or respect the word–you certainly do not find your life animated by an undeniable PASSION for God’s word.
Life on earth is filled with amazing places, people, and experiences. But there is no single resource more valuable than God’s word. If you do not love it and tremble with a deep respect—a passionate desire to understand it and speak about it truthfully—you need to beg God to fill you with a love for His word. Nothing matters more than that.
“I will look favorably on this kind of person, one who is humble, submissive in spirit, and trembles at My word” Isaiah 66:2.
Dear God, help us love Your word more every day! May our lives be ANIMATED BY AN UNDENIABLE PASSION FOR THE WORD, A HUNGER THAT CAN NEVER BE QUENCHED!
ΑΩ
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