Crossing the Threshold

 

Remembering the Way the Lord Has Led Us

“Observe the commands of the Lord your God, 

walking in obedience to Him and revering Him.”

Deuteronomy 8:6

As the people of Israel stand on the edge of the Promised Land, Moses speaks with deep pastoral wisdom. A new chapter is about to begin, yet he knows the greatest danger is not behind them, but ahead. Prosperity and progress can quietly erode reverence if memory fades. So Moses urges them to remember—to walk humbly and to fear the Lord, especially when life becomes full and settled. “When you have eaten and are satisfied… be careful that you do not forget the Lord” (Deuteronomy 8:10–11). Remembering becomes the discipline that keeps faith alive as God’s people move forward.

As this year draws to a close, we find ourselves standing at a similar threshold. Like Israel, we carry gratitude alongside unfinished work, unanswered prayers, and hopes still waiting to be fulfilled. Before rushing into a new year of plans and resolutions, we are invited to pause and look back. As a family, it can be meaningful to choose a simple stone of remembrance—a small stone placed on a table or shelf—as a way of naming God’s faithfulness over the past year. Each person might share a moment when God provided strength, guidance, forgiveness, or peace. Such remembering is not nostalgia; it is testimony. It gently asks our hearts, Where do I stand with God today? What has He already carried us through?

From this place of remembrance, we approach the idea of New Year resolutions differently. Scripture does not call us to resolve out of fear or self-improvement, but to respond in trust and dependence. Moses’ words remind us that obedience flows from reverence, not anxiety—and that true change comes not by our own strength, but through the quiet, faithful work of the Holy Spirit. Our resolutions, then, are not demands we place on ourselves, but holy responses to God’s grace: to walk more attentively, to live more gratefully, to love more patiently, and to trust more deeply as the Spirit shapes us from within. As the year ends, we release what remains unfinished into God’s care, confident that the Lord who has led us this far will continue to guide us forward. His purposes unfold with quiet strength, as the Spirit leads us one faithful step at a time.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, teach us to walk humbly and remember the way You have led us.  As this year ends, help us give thanks for Your faithfulness, release what is unfinished into Your care, and form our resolutions in trust rather than striving. Lead us gently into the year ahead. Amen.

Reverence and Blessing

Living Before the Presence of God

“The ark of God remained with the family of Obed-Edom in his house for three months, and the Lord blessed his household and everything he had.” — 1 Chronicles 13:14 

When David became king, his first desire was to bring the Ark of the Covenant—God’s symbolic presence—back to Jerusalem. But the attempt ended in tragedy when the Ark was mishandled. Uzzah’s irreverent touch cost him his life (1 Chronicles 13:9–10), showing that God’s presence is holy and must not be treated casually.

Yet when the Ark was placed in the home of Obed-Edom, who honored it, “the Lord blessed his household and everything he had.” Reverence brought joy and flourishing. This story may seem distant, but it speaks directly to our daily lives. Like David, we all make decisions—about our work, relationships, and priorities. When David inquired of the Lord before battle, he was victorious (1 Chronicles 14:10, 14). His strength came not from strategy but from seeking God’s guidance.

As Eugene Peterson put it, “We don’t invite God into our lives so He can do our bidding. He is God—we are not.”Our relationship with Him is not about using His power to fulfill our plans, but about surrendering to His will and aligning our hearts with His purposes. When we forget this, we risk treating His presence as a tool instead of a treasure—seeking blessings without bowing in reverence.

As ordinary people, we are called to treat God’s presence with reverence, not routine. We invite His blessing when we approach Him with awe, pray before making choices, and shape our homes as places where God is honored.

Matthew Henry reminds us, “Those are best prepared for public services who begin with private devotions.” Our homes, conversations, and small choices matter. God’s presence isn’t reserved for kings and prophets—it’s available to each of us through the Holy Spirit.

Prayer:

Lord, teach me to honor Your presence daily. May my life, my words, and my home reflect a reverence that welcomes Your blessing. Lead me in all I do. Amen.

Filled with Awe

Holy Wonder

Everyone was filled with awe 

at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles.

 Acts 2:43 

In a world that prizes efficiency, control, and proof, the sacred sense of wonder can seem outdated—even foolish. Awe is often replaced with analysis, reverence with sarcasm. Yet Scripture continually calls us to recapture the posture of holy wonder—a reverent attentiveness to the mystery, majesty, and mercy of God.

David wrote, “When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers… what is mankind that you are mindful of them?” (Psalm 8:3–4). His awe was not ignorance, but insight—born of seeing God’s glory in the ordinary and realizing how small we are, yet how deeply loved.

The early church lived in this spirit. Luke tells us they were “filled with awe” (Acts 2:43). Not because they understood everything, but because they had seen enough of Jesus to fall on their knees and worship.

Eugene Peterson writes, “Wonder is the only adequate launching pad for exploring this fullness of life in God.” To lose our wonder is to lose our worship.

Let us return to reverence. Let us stand barefoot before the burning bush of grace. Let us look again at the cross—and say with Thomas, “My Lord and my God!” (John 20:28).

Prayer:

Lord, restore to me a sense of holy wonder. Let me not grow numb to Your beauty or blind to Your works. Awaken awe in my heart once more. Amen.

Holy Ground

 Walking in Reverence 

Tremble and Trust

Reverence and Awe in the Presence of the Holy One

“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.

Hebrews 12:28–29 

In a  world that is often casual about everything—even the sacred—the Lenten season invites us to return to the holy ground of reverence. Not fear in the sense of dread or terror, but a trembling delight, a reverent awe in the presence of the One who is both infinitely loving and infinitely holy.

The Bible speaks of the fear of the Lord as the beginning of wisdom (Proverbs 9:10), a fear not rooted in dread but in awe. It is the kind of fear that bows low before a God who is both infinitely good and gloriously holy.

Eugene Peterson once wrote, “Fear-of-God is not studying about God but living in reverent relationship with Him… It is the beginning of wisdom, not its end.” This fear doesn’t push us away—it draws us close. It burns away pride and distraction. It humbles us and gives us clarity.

Hebrews reminds us that “our God is a consuming fire.” God’s holiness is not passive. It purifies like flame, consuming what is false and refining what is true. To live in the fear of the Lord is to live in His light—exposed, refined, and transformed.

Elisabeth Elliot put it this way: “Fear rises when we imagine we are in the hands of fate. But reverent awe comes when we know we are in the hands of God.” That’s the fear Lent calls us to recover. Not fear of judgment for the forgiven, but awe in the presence of the One who forgives. To live in His presence is to live ablaze—with wonder, humility, and joy.

Prayer

Lord, teach me to fear You rightly—not with dread, but with awe. Let me not become casual with Your holiness, but rather bow in reverent love. Cleanse me with Your fire, and let this fear become the beginning of wisdom, the root of worship, and the mark of true faith in my life. Amen.