We’ll be using the summer as an opportunity to re-align our lives to the Lord as many step away and rest from the daily routines and demands of life. Here is a devotion that helps us take the opportunity to grow spiritually as we take in God’s Creation:

IN WORD We’re uncomfortable with the idea of fearing God. We defend Him as One whose love is so great that He need not be feared. As 1 John 4:18 says: “Perfect love drives out fear.” So we redefine fear as “awe” and “reverence.” Yet the Scriptures use the term “fear of God” frequently enough to give us the impression that something more than awe is appropriate. It is the kind of fear that terrified the disciples when they heard God’s voice at the Transfiguration (Matthew 17:6); that overwhelmed Isaiah when he cried out: “Woe to me! . . . I am ruined!” in God’s presence (Isaiah 6:5); and that drove John facedown at the sight of the glorified Son (Revelation 1:17).
Why does a God of love tell us that wisdom begins when we fear Him? Because when we approach the Holy One with a casual familiarity, we are not living in reality. We do not take Him as seriously as we ought, and we do not take our sin as seriously as we ought. Fear—not of punishment but of the overwhelming greatness of God—sees Him correctly. When we stand on the edge of the vast, bottomless chasm that separates us from Him, and we behold the immeasurable expense He paid to bridge that chasm, we experience fear. Fear of what would have been if we had never known the gospel. Fear of our own unworthiness. Fear of the absolute dedication to Him that is now required of us.
When this fear grips us, we begin to understand the enormity of the gospel and of our God. That understanding begins to rearrange our lives. And that is what wisdom is all about.
IN DEED It is vital that we know God’s love and rest comfortably in it. But a true understanding of God’s love begins with an overwhelming awareness of His greatness, holiness, and power as they contrast our own sinful nature. There is nothing more fear-inducing than that. But this is where we must begin. This will shape our self-awareness, our relationships, our work, our prayers—everything we think and do. It will make us wise. “True wisdom is gazing at God.” – The Syrian (in “Walking with God” by Chris Tiegreen)

This week, our whole family is taking a road trip to Banff. A picture can never take the place of being physically present because it can never capture the grandeur and the fear that one experiences in person. One can see a panorama photo, but it does not capture the feeling one has when one has hiked miles to the overlook and stared down a cliff. One realizes how fragile life is and how immense Creation is.
The same is true of our view of God. If we look from afar, we see God’s majesty and beauty. But up close, we realize our own insignificance before Him. Fear is a natural response, and it helps frame our hearts with humility and thankfulness for His desire to welcome us into His Presence.
Take some time to reflect on the book of Hebrews this week, and let the grandeur of our heavenly Father and Jesus our High Priest help you re-align your life. When you grasp God with fear and reverence, it drives out fear of everything else and gives you courage to face even the most daunting of tasks and circumstances (see Hebrews 11). Have a blessed week! - from Banff, Canada, Pastor Sam