Fear And Reverence

Fear And Reverence by Kirk Hunt

So they picked up Jonah and threw him into the sea, and the sea ceased from its raging. Then the men feared the Lord exceedingly, and offered a sacrifice to the Lord and took vows.

Jonah 1:15–16 NKJV

Jonah hit the water and everything changed. The murderous storm instantly dissipated. The howling wind became a whispering breeze. The towering waves that threatened to smash the hull vanished. God’s demonstration of His naked power and command over creation invoked fear and reverence from the sailors.

Fear can be defined as “profound reverence and awe especially toward God.” The sailors watched someone switch off a major tempest like flipping a switch. That is not the action of a mere man or an accident. The God who can do that has my awe, for sure.

Father-God loves us like a father. Like any good father, He is often gentle and tender with us. But God so much more than a mere father.

God’s power over all creation demands our awe. His holiness deserves our reverence. The level of awe and reverence you feel toward our all-powerful God should be overwhelming at times. Call it fear if you must. The sailors would.

They responded, the way I hope you respond, to seeing God’s power at its most unrestrained. Reverent worship and awestruck adoration is the only reasonable response to all that God is and can do. With a little more fear of God in his life, Jonah may not have wound up overboard.

Think: Does God have my reverence? Does God have my awe?

Pray: “Lord, You are worthy of all of my awe and reverence.”

 

Copyright © January 2020, Kirk Hunt

This devotional is brought to you courtesy of CadreMen Press. You can purchase a copy of Blessed and Blessing: Devotionals For Gospel Champions from your favorite bookseller or directly from CadreMen Press.