Devotion for September 2, 2008

Respect God

“Why do the nations rage, And the people plot a vain thing? The kings of the earth set themselves, And the rulers take counsel together, Against the LORD and against His Anointed, [saying], "Let us break Their bonds in pieces And cast away Their cords from us." He who sits in the heavens shall laugh; The Lord shall hold them in derision. Then He shall speak to them in His wrath, And distress them in His deep displeasure: "Yet I have set My King On My holy hill of Zion." "I will declare the decree: The LORD has said to Me, ‘You [are] My Son, Today I have begotten You. Ask of Me, and I will give [You] The nations [for] Your inheritance, And the ends of the earth [for] Your possession. You shall break them with a rod of iron; You shall dash them to pieces like a potter’s vessel.’" Now therefore, be wise, O kings; Be instructed, you judges of the earth. Serve the LORD with fear, And rejoice with trembling. Kiss the Son, lest He be angry, And you perish [in] the way, When His wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed [are] all those who put their trust in Him.” (Psalms 2:1-12 NKJV)

As people plot their vain things against the Lord, it brings an unexpected, but appropriate response from the Lord. “He who sits in the heavens shall laugh!” Foolish arrogance will destroy many. God deserves and demands respect, and someday He will recompense those who refuse to give it to Him.

This may not fit with your concept of God being a loving and gentle Father. However, if your concept of God is limited to that former concept, then you do not know Him as you should for God is love, but He is also wrathful.

Take comfort believer “For God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Thessalonians 5:9 NKJV). However, while you take comfort in your blessing, never forget God’s attributes lest you forget how you escaped His wrath by faith and fall away unto perdition.

Now you cry, “A believer is kept by the power of God and cannot fall away!” You are right my friend, but what assurance do you have of your faith except you remain steadfast? “. . . Moses indeed [was] faithful in all His house as a servant, for a testimony of those things which would be spoken [afterward], but Christ as a Son over His own house, whose house we are if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm to the end.” (Hebrews 3:5-6 NKJV)

We now have boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Christ, but let no one ever disrespect God with a flippant or presumptuous attitude for God is love, but He is also wrathful. Enter His courts with thanksgiving remembering how you escaped the wrath to come. Amen.