Tag: reverence

The Right Mind

The Right Mind by Kirk Hunt

Then they went out to see what had happened, and came to Jesus, and found the man from whom the demons had departed, sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed and in his right mind. And they were afraid.

Luke 8:35 NKJV

The demon-possessed man had been a terror to the Gadarenes. Instead of joy and reverence at his healing, the town elders were unhappy and afraid. Since they asked Jesus to leave, I question if they were in their right minds.

When God moves in His sovereign power, men and women are not always happy. Too often, the disruption of the status quo ruins folks’ plans and arrangements. Also too often, people are uncomfortable with what they cannot control.

The Gadarenes had adapted to the situation of the demon-possessed man. Jesus ruined that adaptation. The power of God through Jesus exceeded their ability to exercise control or authority. Instead of reverence for God’s power, they reacted in fear to Messiah.

Consider how you respond to God’s power in your life. Is your mind right with Him? Do you accept His sovereign authority in joy and reverence, or are you fearful and resentful?

God’s power exceeds us. God’s grace often disrupts our plans and changes our arrangements. Do you respond with a mind right with Him?

Think: When God exercises His power, am I responding with a right mind?

Pray: “Father-God, help me to respond correctly to You and Your sovereign power.

Copyright © March 2023, Kirk Hunt

This devotional is brought to you courtesy of CadreMen Press. You can purchase a copy of Blessed and Blessing: Devotionals For Gospel Champions from your favorite bookseller or directly from CadreMen Press.

Fear And Reverence

Fear And Reverence by Kirk Hunt

So they picked up Jonah and threw him into the sea, and the sea ceased from its raging.   Then the men feared the Lord exceedingly, and offered a sacrifice to the Lord and took vows.

Jonah 1:15–16 NKJV

Jonah hit the water and everything changed.  The murderous storm instantly dissipated.  The howling wind became a whispering breeze.  The towering waves that threatened to smash the hull vanished.  God’s demonstration of His naked power and command over creation invoked fear and reverence from the sailors.

Fear can be defined as “profound reverence and awe especially toward God.”  The sailors watched someone switch off a major tempest like flipping a switch.  That is not the action of a mere man or an accident.  The God who can do that has my awe, for sure.

Father-God loves us like a father.  Like any good father, He is often gentle and tender with us.  But God so much more than a mere father.

God’s power over all creation demands our awe.  His holiness deserves our reverence.  The level of awe and reverence you feel toward our all-powerful God should be overwhelming at times.  Call it fear if you must.  The sailors would.

They responded, the way I hope you respond, to seeing God’s power at its most unrestrained.  Reverent worship and awestruck adoration is the only reasonable response to all that God is and can do.  With a little more fear of God in his life, Jonah may not have wound up overboard.

Think:      Does God have my reverence?  Does God have my awe?

Pray:         “Lord, You are worthy of all of my awe and reverence.”

 

Copyright © January 2020, Kirk Hunt

This devotional is brought to you courtesy of CadreMen Press.  You can purchase a copy of Blessed and Blessing: Devotionals For Gospel Champions from your favorite bookseller or directly from CadreMen Press.