Get Down and Then Come Up

 

I’m Duane Matz and welcome to Today’s Living Word.

The Apostle John, writing in the Book of Revelation describes Jesus (the Son of Man) as having “eyes like a flame of fire.” Let that word picture sink in for a minute. We are talking about the holy gaze of Christ! Do you, do I dare to meet that gaze!

 

That gaze that penetrates the shadows, where we are prone to hang out, in order to avoid facing our sin. It’s that same gaze that found Peter in the shadows of the courtyard as he denied Jesus for the third time!  

 

Lu 22:61 And the Lord turned and looked at Peter. And Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how He had said to him, "Before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times."

 62 So Peter went out and wept bitterly.

 

Broken by his sin, Peter sobbed uncontrollably.

 

May I ask a very personal question? When’s the last time you were broken by your sin? When’s the last time you allowed Jesus to fix His holy gaze on you through the Ten Commandments?

 

Not just  sin spoken of in generalities, but ten specific things that displease God!

 

  I urge you to slow down and take the time to let each commandment speak to you, but before you start, listen to the word of the Lord given to Moses before he came up the mountain to receive the commandments!

 

It’s from Ex 19: 24, “Then the LORD said to him, "Away! Get down and then come up”

 

The way up the mountain and toward the revelation of God is humility!

 

Jas 4:10 Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up.

Ps 51:17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, A broken and a contrite heart-These, O God, You will not despise.

 

Admit you are a sinner, then open your heart up to the holy gaze of Jesus and let Him show you the errors of your ways!

 

 Confess your sins and then believing, receive His forgiveness

 

I’m Duane Matz and that’s Today’s Living Word