When the Bible talks about the “fear of the Lord” it is talking about much more than simply being afraid. The fear of the Lord means we stand in awe of him, trembling in his presence, overwhelmed by his majesty, and completely caught up in holy reverence before the King of kings and Lord of lords. So what does all that have to do with humility? Humility deals with perspective; how we see ourselves in light of someone or something else. What the world calls humility is often self abasement. We say or think things like, “I am not nearly as talented as they are,” or “I’m so unimportant,” or “I could never accomplish something that great.” But humility before God is something entirely different. It is a recognition of our insignificance, not compared to other men, but in light of the eternal glory of God. We are unworthy to even speak his name. In this aspect, I stand on equal ground with all those around me.

This kind of humility is richly rewarded. When we live a life submitted to God through Christ we receive incredible riches; seek first God’s Kingdom and his righteousness and all that you need will be provided to you (Matthew 6:33). We receive the greatest honor imaginable; how great is the love the Father has lavished on us that we should be called children of God, and that is what we are! (1 John 3:1) And, finally, we receive true and perfect life; God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son so that when we put our faith in him, we have life for all eternity! (John 3:16)

Lord God we stand in fear and trembling, we bow before you with our face to the ground, we cry out “Woe to me! I am unclean! I am unworthy!” We recognize that we are but a mere speck before you…which makes your incredible loving-kindness toward us – your grace and mercy – incredibly incomprehensible! Thank you Lord!

In Christ’s Service,
Pastor Shane Cannon