URC Daily Devotion 25th February

The Psalmist might challenge C.S. Lewis’s accusation, for in today’s Psalm we also see God in the dock. The wicked and the sinner do not fear God. They put themselves above God. They do not see themselves as God sees them, but only in their own blind and conceited way.

We might not like the language of ‘fear’, but we certainly need a humble and reverent awe as we come before God. We need to recognise that God is God – and we are not. We need to be prepared to hear from his word – not ours. We need to seek his will – not others. This is so relevant to our everyday lives, and to our church lives. Take Church Meetings, for example. So often I’ve heard it said that the URC is ‘democratic’, but are they meant to be? Surely they must be about theocracy: listening to the Spirit and discerning God’s will together. How might that change our meetings – and, crucially, our decisions?

The wonderful news is that when we humble ourselves before God, our eyes are opened to God’s true self: to his steadfast love that reaches to the heavens; to his faithfulness that extends to the sky; to his righteousness and justice that go from the top of the mountains to the deepest depths of the ocean.  The person who makes themselves God – and let’s be honest, all of us do at times – misses out on this truly stunning panorama. We replace an indescribable and beautiful and awe-inspiring God with… me. There is simply no comparison. May David’s prayer be ours: “Let not the ruthless foot of pride approach and threaten me.” Amen.