ECCLESIASTES 12:13

Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the duty of all mankind. 

TO PONDER 

I remember, as a young child, laying on the top of the hill outside of our house on a sunny day staring at the blue sky and watching the clouds as they drifted slowly past when I was overcome with a sense of awe at the expanse of the sky. I really was overcome, the magnitude of the sky struck me to the point of fear, it was too big, I felt too small, I remember fleeing inside to escape the expanse. 

For some, today’s verse may trigger a case of PTSD, filling us with images of a judgemental God with a big stick ready to smite us as the filthy sinners that we are, so we want to flee inside. But others will read today’s verse on the other side of grace, overcome by the aggressive forgiveness of the almighty God, the God carrying the ‘stick’ of grace ready to forgive us as the filthy sinners that we were before Jesus made us saints through his blood. 

The Amplified Bible puts the verse this way; “fear God [worship Him with awe-filled reverence, knowing that He is almighty God]”. Awe-filled reverence is how we should respond to God from the other side of his aggressive forgiveness, from the other side of his grace which hunts us down reminding us we are forgiven and loved. 

My challenge for us all today is to lay out on the top of the proverbial hill staring up at the expanse of God’s unrelenting grace and allow His love for us to overcome us. 

PRAYER 

Saviour God, I thank you for your aggressive forgiveness you lavish upon me, that in the deepest darkest parts of my heart your grace is made all the brighter. Amen. 

Today's devotion written by Danny Brock, LifeWay Westside.