Sunday June 7 2026 - Recap

There's something profound about being teachable. In a world that celebrates expertise and self-sufficiency, the spiritual journey requires something radically different: a humble acknowledgment that we don't know as much as we think we do. This truth becomes the doorway to one of the most transformative concepts in Scripture—the fear of the Lord.

When God Teaches, We Must Listen
The ancient words of Psalm 34:11 extend an invitation that echoes through millennia: "Come my children, and listen to me, and I will teach you to fear the Lord." Notice the progression—first comes the invitation to approach, then the call to listen, and finally the promise of instruction. This isn't about terror or dread; it's about reverence, honor, and respect.
Think about any classroom setting. Students can gather, textbooks can be distributed, but no learning happens until the teacher arrives and captures attention. Similarly, the Holy Spirit cannot teach us until we quiet ourselves and truly listen. The fear of the Lord isn't a formula to be memorized; it's a posture of the heart to be cultivated.

If the fear of the Lord can be taught, then it can be learned. And if it can be learned, it can grow. This simple truth should fill us with hope—wherever we are in our spiritual journey, there's always room to deepen our reverence for God.

The Forty-Year Preparation
Moses' encounter at the burning bush stands as one of Scripture's most powerful illustrations of what happens when we turn aside from the ordinary to meet with the extraordinary. But here's what we often miss: Moses had been tending sheep in the desert for forty years before this divine appointment.

Forty years. Not forty days, not forty weeks, not even forty months. Four decades of what must have seemed like ordinary, unremarkable existence. During those years, God was shaping Moses in ways the shepherd couldn't perceive. Humility always precedes promotion in God's kingdom. The path to divine assignment passes through the valley of preparation.

On what appeared to be just another common day—shepherding smelly sheep, walking familiar paths, going through the motions of routine—everything changed. A bush burned without being consumed. Something unusual captured Moses' attention, and his response reveals the first step in learning reverence: he turned aside.

The Power of Turning Aside
Moses intentionally stopped what he was doing to investigate something that didn't fit his normal experience. This seemingly small decision became the doorway to understanding how to honor God. He moved toward the presence of God rather than remaining in the comfort of the familiar.

James 4:8 captures this reciprocal movement: "Draw near to God and he will draw near to you." God initiates the relationship, but we must respond. We must turn aside from the casual and convenient to connect with the holy.

When Moses drew near, God gave specific instructions: "Do not draw near this place. Take your sandals off your feet, for the place where you stand is holy ground." The dirt beneath Moses' feet wasn't inherently different from the day before. What made it holy was the presence of God.

This wasn't about establishing a religious formula where everyone must remove their shoes before prayer. God wasn't creating a ritual; He was revealing a principle. The removal of sandals wasn't about footwear—it was about heart posture. God was teaching Moses that approaching the Divine requires something different than approaching anything or anyone else.

Position Versus Posture
Here's a truth that challenges our formula-seeking minds: God is less interested in your position than your posture. People can kneel without humility. They can raise their hands without surrender. They can quote Scripture without reverence. They can attend church without honoring God.

The human heart constantly seeks formulas—if we just pray this way, read this translation, sing these songs, follow these methods, then we can access God. But religion seeks formulas while God seeks heart posture. We want the formula, but we miss the posture.

Moses' response to God's instructions reveals the fear of the Lord in action. When God said, "Take off your sandals," Moses took them off. When God said, "Don't come any closer," Moses stopped. When God revealed Himself, Moses covered his face. The fear of the Lord is often revealed in the speed of our obedience.

Pride argues with God. Humility listens to God. Moses was teachable, correctable, adjustable, and moldable—the very definition of biblical meekness, which is not weakness but teachability.

Four Pathways to Reverence
How do we cultivate this sacred reverence in our daily lives?
First, spend time in His presence. You will never reverence someone you never spend time with. The more we invest in being with the Lord, the more honor we naturally give Him. Casual relationships produce casual reverence. Intimate encounters produce transformative worship.

Second, meditate on His greatness. God created the heavens and the earth. He redeemed us from death and hell. The cross demonstrated His love; the resurrection manifested His grace. When we truly contemplate who He is, reverence becomes our natural response.

Third, honor what God calls holy. His Word. His name. His church. His Spirit. These aren't suggestions for reverence—they're invitations to encounter the sacred in everyday life. When we treat these as common, we weaken our capacity for awe.

Fourth, obey quickly. Delayed obedience weakens reverence. Immediate obedience strengthens it. When God speaks—whether through a whisper in prayer, a conviction from Scripture, or a prompting of the Spirit—our response time reveals our reverence level.

The Invitation Still Stands
The burning bush got Moses' attention, but God got Moses' heart. God wasn't trying to impress Moses; He was trying to transform him. The same remains true today. Every unusual moment, every divine interruption, every holy whisper isn't meant to entertain us but to change us.

Before Moses stood before Pharaoh, he bowed before God. Before he led two million people out of bondage, he learned to listen in solitude. The public assignment was preceded by private transformation.

What burning bush is calling for your attention today? What is God inviting you to turn aside and see? The fear of the Lord begins with recognizing that He knows you, sees you, and has something to reveal to you—something you cannot learn anywhere else, from anyone else.

Come. Listen. Learn to fear the Lord. The ground where you stand can become holy when you recognize the presence of the One who stands with you.