Hebrews 12:28-29 – Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and  so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, for our “God is a consuming fire.”

Since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken

What a blessing it is to know that the kingdom of God will endure. We don’t have to worry that it won’t be there when we die, or that someday it will cease to exist. God is eternal, and his kingdom cannot be shaken. Nothing, not one thing, in all of time will be able to destroy the Kingdom of God. The devil for a time will try, but we know he has lost the war. God is almighty and has overcome the devil.

Let us be thankful

When someone does something nice for you, do you thank them? I’m not always as good at this as I would like. To be honest, I’m kind of ashamed of it. Who takes the brunt of that? Maybe my boys who are so kind to me and never refuse bringing me popcorn or tea. They’re not argumentative or defiant. They’re agreeable young men. I sometimes take their kindnesses for granted. I don’t always use the good manners my mother gave me. They deserve my thanks. If I am capable of forgetting to thank my sons who daily do amazing sacraficial things for me, how much more awful is it that I sometimes forget to thank my Lord and savior Jesus for his true sacrifice for my eternal life. Not only do I not say it often enough, I also don’t act grateful. I become selfish, unkind, impatient with Him. I don’t always act as He would call me to act. I don’t always treat others better than myself, and I don’t always put Him at the center of my life. Let us be thankful. Let us cast off our old ways and focus on the Lord!

Worship God acceptably with reverence and awe

Why do we have the traditions we do in our church? I think most of them are to help with this action, so that we might worship God acceptably with reverence and awe. I want to get better at this and not get too comfortable. I want things to not become rote or commonplace, but that I remember why I am worshiping, and more importantly Who I am worshiping. I want to show my Lord reverence and awe. I want to do that by putting Him first in my life. Lord help me do this, please.

God is a consuming fire

When we allow the Lord to be the center of our lives, He is an all consuming fire. He burns out the old cobwebs. He adds excitement and change that we would otherwise not embrace. God is amazing and has so much planned for us. In a Bible study I’m doing, (The Calling: Living a life of significance) it mentioned that sometimes we ask for silver when God wants to give us gold. When we put God at the center of our lives, as He is an all consuming fire and fills every nook and cranny of our heart, we will find the excitement of having God in charge. Having Him burn away the junk that gets in the way of our relationship with Him so that new life might grow in our hearts. When there is a fire in the wilderness, it can be devastating  It can look as if everything that was good is gone, but after some time, new life grows, stronger and healthier than before. May I be refined by the all consuming fire of God.