Read the transcript from today's video devotional.
Are there things in your life that are just feeling shaky right now? Just feeling unstable? Well, I love that our verse of the day really captures the sentiment behind that, especially when things feel shaky and unstable. It can tend to lead to fear and just feeling overwhelmed by fear of what's going to happen, how things are going to go.
Our Verse of the Day today is Hebrews chapter 12, verse 28. It says, "Since we are receiving a Kingdom that is unshakable, let us be thankful and please God by worshiping Him with holy fear and awe."
When Things Feel Shaky
When we go through those seasons and those times where it feels like things are shaky or unstable, it's really hard to see beyond that. It's hard to think about a kingdom that's unshakable.
That's why it's such an amazing opportunity for us to take a step back and say, okay, when I'm feeling shaky, when I'm feeling like things are unstable, what kingdom am I building my life, my environment, my future, my actually current existence on?
Fear Can Consume Us
That's why I just want to take a step back and look at when things are fearful, because fear is part of what can consume us when things are shaky or unstable.
A Childhood Memory
I just think about it—when I was a kid and I'd be laying in bed at night in the dark, of course all the shadows are moving, and you don't know what's in your closet. With the door closed and there's no lights on, you start wondering, your mind starts playing tricks on you and you start seeing things.
Then you start calling out: "Mom! Dad!"
Of course it would get louder and louder and louder. Until, as soon as the door opened and someone walked in the room, it all of a sudden became, oh, okay, now there's peace. Now I don't feel fearful anymore because they're here.
When God Shows Up
That's how we're going to look at this verse today. When you feel uneasy, when you feel shaky and unstable, sometimes one of the greatest things that can bring us stability—and that's why it's the kingdom that's unshakable—is when God shows up.
It's not necessarily that He removes all of the concerns, all the doubts, all the issues that are going on in our lives. As much as it is, the door opens and in walks God.
Holy Fear and Awe
That's why when the verse talks about worshiping Him with holy fear and awe—that's why this is so significant. Talking about fear is not fun. It's not. That's why it's significant in this context, when it's talking about life being shaky and unstable.
When Fear Shifts
When we look at God—and unfortunately some do—as our buddy, our pal, when those shaky times come into our life and come into our path, and when we're feeling unstable, now all of a sudden, the fear that we have towards those things that are causing our life to feel shaky or unstable...
Now we believe that none of those things actually are worthy of fear of God.
When God isn't receiving our fear and awe and understanding exactly who He is, then everything else seems bigger than Him. That's why it's really important for us to focus on what Isaiah chapter 66, verse 1 says: "The heavens declare God's throne and the earth is His footstool."
His Glory and Majesty
When we understand His glory and majesty and are brought into His presence, when we live our lives in His presence, there's only one response we can have, to have fear and awe. It's just natural to be in His magnificent presence, in His glorious holiness, and not have fear and awe.
When we truly have that, everything else that we may fear actually comes below Him.
Our Rock, Our Fortress
Instead of fearing those things, we're able to be stable, knowing that our Rock, our Fortress, our Strong Tower—that are all descriptions of God in the Bible—is now who we are trusting in, who we are standing on.
Pictures Cannot Capture God's Presence
When we're talking about worshiping and being in His presence, I have a friend that went recently to Italy, and he came back and showed us some amazing pictures of his experience, his time. But one of the things he was sure to say is, "It's not the same in these pictures as it was in person."
He tried to describe and capture what it was like. Many times we do that with God. We spend a lot of time in church and other times talking about Him. But unless we actually place ourselves in His presence—where some people, godly people, have said, "Woe is me, for I am undone. I'm not worthy of Him"—we can't truly understand.
We can talk about it and look at pictures and talk about things, spiritual things, and God. But unless we actually place ourselves in His presence, we don't truly understand the power and majesty that now He is protecting us, He is guiding us, He is loving us through it.
The Unshakable Kingdom
That's the Kingdom that's unshakable—that He is reigning victorious and glorious in His Majesty overall. That is something we can trust in. That's something we can place our faith and our feet firmly on today.
