Our pastor today shared a striking thought about praying to God.
He quoted an ancient Jewish Rabbi, Eliezer Ben Hyrcanus, who told his disciples on his death bed: "When you pray, know before whom you are standing."
Immediately, I thought: How would I react if I stood before the Lord? What would God be like?
I would certainly not treat him in an off-hand way as I often do in my prayers.
I would be facing the Lord who terrified some great men of the Bible. They were frightened when they entered the presence of God because they realized how sinful they were and how pure and just and good God is.
The prophet Isaiah, for instance, saw God in a vision in the temple (Isaiah 6:1-7). God was seated on a throne, "high and exalted", surrounded by seraphs who were calling out: "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory." And the temple shook and was filled with smoke.
Isaiah cried out: "Woe to me! I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the Lord Almighty."
A seraph flew to him with a live coal and touched Isaiah's lips, declaring his sin was atoned for.
Now, Christ has atoned for the sins of his followers, so we need not fear death in coming before the Lord. Still, our God is not a toy, but a very impressive being - a just god as well as a loving god.
So, I am called to be reverent before the Lord, knowing how great he is and knowing that he is powerful beyond anything or anyone I can imagine.
Knowing something of this great, all-powerful god, I must listen to what he is saying to me - through the scriptures and the promptings of the Holy Spirit. I cannot treat what he says lightly - something I can throw away.
Yet, in Jesus, we see the image of the Father. And there we see another aspect of God - his immense love and compassion.
God wants to talk with us and give us good things, as Jesus said (Matthew 7:11).
So, the writer of Hebrews tells us that we can "approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive grace and find mercy in our time of need" (Hebrews 4:16).
I like that idea of approaching God with confidence. I know he loves me and wants the best for me.
Those are the two sides of the picture I have of God - awesome and yet tender and loving.
That image should shape how I pray before the Lord.
He quoted an ancient Jewish Rabbi, Eliezer Ben Hyrcanus, who told his disciples on his death bed: "When you pray, know before whom you are standing."
Immediately, I thought: How would I react if I stood before the Lord? What would God be like?
I would certainly not treat him in an off-hand way as I often do in my prayers.
I would be facing the Lord who terrified some great men of the Bible. They were frightened when they entered the presence of God because they realized how sinful they were and how pure and just and good God is.
The prophet Isaiah, for instance, saw God in a vision in the temple (Isaiah 6:1-7). God was seated on a throne, "high and exalted", surrounded by seraphs who were calling out: "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory." And the temple shook and was filled with smoke.
Isaiah cried out: "Woe to me! I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the Lord Almighty."
A seraph flew to him with a live coal and touched Isaiah's lips, declaring his sin was atoned for.
Now, Christ has atoned for the sins of his followers, so we need not fear death in coming before the Lord. Still, our God is not a toy, but a very impressive being - a just god as well as a loving god.
So, I am called to be reverent before the Lord, knowing how great he is and knowing that he is powerful beyond anything or anyone I can imagine.
Knowing something of this great, all-powerful god, I must listen to what he is saying to me - through the scriptures and the promptings of the Holy Spirit. I cannot treat what he says lightly - something I can throw away.
Yet, in Jesus, we see the image of the Father. And there we see another aspect of God - his immense love and compassion.
God wants to talk with us and give us good things, as Jesus said (Matthew 7:11).
So, the writer of Hebrews tells us that we can "approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive grace and find mercy in our time of need" (Hebrews 4:16).
I like that idea of approaching God with confidence. I know he loves me and wants the best for me.
Those are the two sides of the picture I have of God - awesome and yet tender and loving.
That image should shape how I pray before the Lord.
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