TREMBLING AT GOD’S WORDS

“But on this one will I look: on him who is poor and of a contrite spirit, and one who TREMBLES at MY WORD” – Isaiah 66: 2b

Divine Intimacy and Favour come through TREMBLING AT GOD’S WORDS: “Heaven is My throne, and the earth is My footstool. Where is the house that you will build Me? And where is the place of My rest? For all those things My hand has made, and all those things exist,” says the LORD. But on this one will I look: on him who is poor and of a contrite spirit, and one who TREMBLES at MY WORD” (Isa.66:1-2). Despite the corrupt condition of our world, God has never lost control. He is still sovereign over His creation, declaring that heaven is His throne, and that earth is His footstool (vv.1-2). Even Solomon’s temple, which was constructed for His glory, could not contain Him. However, God is not as impressed by what we build or achieve as He is by our passionate, contrite and humble spirit, evidenced in trembling at His awesome Word.

The world has become so corrupt and perilous because society has largely rejected God and His laws, commandments, and principles. Many people today think their ideas are better than God’s precepts, and they don’t want Him telling them how to live. However, God’s instructions were given to us for our good, and any society will benefit from following them. When a civilization chooses to ignore or reject the Lord’s precepts, an increasingly corrupt culture evolves. Our responsibility as Christians is to make a positive contribution to society by proclaiming, honouring, and living in accordance with God’s Word.

We need to re-examine ourselves! Do we tremble when God speaks? Have we become too familiar with Him? Are we physically moved by the reality that almighty God speaks directly to us? Moses trembled at God’s Word (Acts 7:32). Peter, when he realized who Jesus was, “fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord!” (Lk. 5:8). Paul fell to the ground at the instance of God’s voice when Christ met him on the road to Damascus (Acts 9:4). John lost all physical strength and “fell at His feet as dead” when God spoke to him (Rev. 1:17).

Do I match the description of the person to whom God is looking? There are three-folds to the attitude of the Person who trembles at God’s Word:

A longing to HEAR it: When we cherish the Scriptures, we’ll always come with a desire to hear truths from the Lord. As we’re taught, we follow along, listen carefully, and write down whatever is laid on our hearts so we won’t forget. But this is not just a Sunday commitment – we’ll read it every day, asking God for direction and guidance.

A desire to BELIEVE it: Knowing that the Lord is faithful and true, we can always believe what He says. By reminding Him of the promises in His Word, we can pray with confidence, expecting Him to hear and answer when we ask anything according to His will (1 Jh. 5:14-15).

An Intention to OBEY it: God’s Word is our daily spiritual nourishment, without which we’ll remain weak spiritually, morally, emotionally, and sometimes physically. When we read and obey His commands, we’ll be fortified in our walk with Christ.

We must never lose the sense of awe that the Creator still chooses to speak to us, His creation. Take a moment to consider the awesome reality that the God who spoke and created the universe is now speaking to us. If Jesus could speak and raise the dead, calm storms, cast out demons, and heal the incurable; then what effect might a word from Him have upon our lives? The possibilities are limitless! Let’s learn to open God’s Word with a sense of holy expectation. Let’s honour, respect, and hold the Scripture in awe knowing them to be the very words of Almighty God. Scripture is our most precious possession, and we demonstrate how much we value it as we hear, believe, honour, and obey it.