Psalm 2

i started a new bible reading program on sunday (aug.27). it is in conjunction with our word of life youth group reading program. we started out in the psalms - and i must say that i am excited about getting back into this book!

last night i spent some time in psalm 2. i was struck with these phrases from vv.11-12:

...worship the LORD with reverance

and rejoice with trembling,

do homage to the Son, lest He become angry, and you perish in the way,

for His wrath may soon be kindled.

How blessed are all who take refuge in Him!...

(now i'm no hebrew scholar... and bible software can be dangerous things... you know, just a little knowledge is sometimes worse than ignorance... but anyway):

• this word 'worship' has the idea of "to work, serve", even the idea of slavery sometimes.
• the name of God in all caps, 'LORD', is the name YHWH - (Yahweh) - the unspeakable holy, sovereign, almighty name of God. it is His most holy name.
• the word 'reverance' has the idea of fear or awe, extreme fear!

how many of us think of worship as 'working' or 'serving'? our praise and worship times in church have turned into something that is all about us! we want to feel, we need something, we want music our way, we don't feel like standing or sitting for soooo long of a time. STOP!!

its not about us! our worship is part of our duty to serve YHWH! Have you forgotten Who this is? The most mighty God... The most holy One... Purity to the extreme... So far above us... One to Whom we cannot even gaze upon without our sure destruction.

and we come haphazardly into His presence... how foolish!

yes, my friend, i understand all about grace - but free grace is not cheap grace. and we would do well to have more 'reverence' (fear, awe, extreme fear) when we come before our LORD.

this was such a challenging passage to me. see, as a pastor, you would assume that i have it altogether every sunday when we worship. but i don't. last sunday was the beginning of God getting my attention that i had grown apathetic in my worship. i am calloused. i am approaching His throne haphazardly. if it were not for His grace & mercy... i would be destroyed for my arrogance.

my challenge to you is one that i challenge myself with. work to serve our LORD in awe. worship our LORD in reverence.

the rest of these two verses say some interesting things, but they must wait till another time. i hope as you read the daily jolt, that you are jolted into a sense of reverential awe concerning this holy God we serve.

God bless,