May 9th

May 9th  

Hebrews 12:28-29 Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, for our “God is a consuming fire.”

Our God is a consuming fire. He is, and we must worship Him with reverence and awe. He is holy, so holy that He is a consuming fire and we would be burned up in His presence if it weren’t for the blood of Jesus that has made us righteous and holy. If we did not have that then we would not be able to stand in His presence.

2 Corinthians 5:21 God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

Hebrews 10:10 And by that will, we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.

So by the grace of God we can now be in His presence both here in the Spirit and physically in Heaven someday. Think about how blessed we are to have this benefit. Think back to Moses, He wanted to see God’s face, but he would have died so God put Him in a crack in the rocks on the side of the mountain and covered him with His hand until He passed by and then let Moses see His back side.

Exodus 33:17-23 And the Lord said to Moses, “I will do the very thing you have asked, because I am pleased with you and I know you by name.” Then Moses said, “Now show me your glory.” And the Lord said, “I will cause all my goodness to pass in front of you, and I will proclaim my name, the Lord, in your presence. I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. But,” he said, “you cannot see my face, for no one may see me and live.” Then the Lord said, “There is a place near me where you may stand on a rock. When my glory passes by, I will put you in a cleft in the rock and cover you with my hand until I have passed by. Then I will remove my hand and you will see my back; but my face must not be seen.”

Moses was not yet covered by the blood of Jesus because that hadn’t happened yet, but eventually that happened and now Moses is able to be in the presence of God in person. We have received the holiness necessary to be able to be in the presence of the Lord in Heaven. Anyone who does not have this holiness by the blood of Jesus can’t survive His presence. This is why Jesus is the ONLY WAY. This is why it is crucial that we speak the True gospel to those around us so that they can experience Heaven too.

This HOLY GOD, who can incinerate us by His mere presence, wants to be near us, longs to pour out His blessings on us, leans toward us, reaching for us and made a way for this to be possible…by His Grace and because of His love. Let this message of grace and love and holiness grow in us even more awe and reverence for Him. Let us not take this grace and mercy and love for granted. Let us be grateful today.

Jesus, thank you for making the way for me to be able to be in your presence here and physically in Heaven someday. Thank you for taking on my sin and giving me your holiness and righteousness. Help me to live a life worthy of your calling and help me to recognize your calling and purpose for my life. Help me to understand your holiness better and remember to revere you in all my ways. Thank you for your perfect love and perfect plan.