“Now Mount Sinai was wrapped in smoke because the Lord had descended on it in fire. The smoke of it went up like the smoke of a kiln, and the whole mountain trembled greatly.” – Exodus 19:18
Take a moment to picture this…. This is the visible presence of God on Earth! It’s absolutely overwhelming – an entire mountain enveloped in smoke and fire. This isn’t how God actually is, it’s simply the limit of what a frail, sin-wracked human can handle. Anything more than that and the holiness of God would prove fatal to creatures of dust like ourselves. The actual presence of God is infinitely more overwhelming than this! The people of Israel were absolutely terrified, and right to be, because when God’s presence is manifest, our unholiness becomes very apparent to us.
Now, realize a precious truth about this… If Jesus is your Lord and if you’ve entrusted your life to Him, then this very same God has lovingly adopted you as His child! This frighteningly holy God loves you! He welcomes you to come into His presence in prayer and praise anytime you want, day or night. You have a relationship with this fearsome, holy Creator of the Universe! And it’s a relationship of love, not fear or dread. You don’t need to be afraid or ashamed, because you are restored and transformed. Isn’t that marvelous?!?
Take time to nurture that relationship. Enjoy it. Delight in it. Spend time each day talking to God. Spend time quietly sitting in His presence and enjoying yourself. Read His Word and delight in it. Sing praises to God. Tell the stories of God. Brag about Him to people who don’t yet know Him. #FollowJesus