I read something today that I thought was very profound... ok, maybe profound is not the word, but it certainly is a good reminder and the words hold a lot of truth. In context, the author is talking about letting go of our fears/insecurities/pasts, and learning to fear the Lord. This is a phrase I hear a lot, but I don't think I've ever really thought about what "fearing" means. I think this put it into a little perspective -

God is huge, He is awesome, indeed terrifying. He is powerful. He holds all the keys to life and death, ecstasy and agony. Our futures are entirely in His hands. He is sovereign, and He answers to no one. He holds the oceans in the palm of His hands. The lightning checks in with Him. But for His mercy, we would all be consumed. He is holy and does not wink at wickedness. He lifts up and He casts down. He makes the mind and can break the mind. When He rises from His throne, His enemies scatter. He has no equal. He is complete, pure, unadulterated otherness.

Maybe these words are just simple, but as I continued to read I just had one of those moments where I realized God can't be put in a box. When I saw the word terrifying, initially I thought about a monster, or something scary, but in reality, He truly is terrifying. Terrifying means to create fear - in this case, an awe and amazement in the vastness and holiness of the Creator. I am reminded of a video I watched a few years ago, where Louie Giglio talked about the greatness of God, by showing pictures of His creation, the universe. While I think that example is a great reminder, I think that the hugeness of God is even more evident in the lives of His children. God continually changes my life, I can look back at my past and see in amazement how He was working, even in the most disgusting situations. He truly is powerful, yet I often forget.

Recently, as I've moved home, I've had the delight of spending more time with my nephews. As much as these little boys may annoy or aggravate me, I love them to pieces! I can't think of much that I wouldn't do for them. In spending time with them, one of the things I love to do is listen to them pray. When Evan prays, he changes into a completely different little boy - his voice becomes so high-pitched, it gets quieter as he continues, and I'm pretty sure he could pray for hours! Most of the boys' prayers consist of asking to be good little boys, but as to the other content, you just never know what it is going to be! For instance, it could be please let Grandma and Grandpa get a pool, or it might be thank you Jesus for the nice, nice, nice day (only about 20 more nices in there!). But as I ponder the amazingness of God, I am reminded of a prayer 5 year-old Jeremy recently voiced (as told by my sister). It went something like this, "God, You are so strong, You are so mighty, You are so powerful! And I want to die! So that I can be with You!"

Of course, I can imagine his parents initial reaction to this, maybe something like, "Whoa! Hold on!", and trying to use it as a teachable moment! But it is amazing to see that a 5 year-old probably has a better view of God than someone who has been on this earth much longer. Perhaps that is the key - in going through life perhaps we lose some of the awe and wonder that we once had. Perhaps we lose the perspective of a 5 year-old, whose world consists of wanting to be Batman or Spiderman, because they hold the power... But! That 5 year-old still knows that God is more powerful than any superhero. I know that is something I often forget, and I wonder how different life would be to live in complete fear of the Lord.