Samuel told the people of Israel: “be sure to fear the Lord and serve him faithfully with all your heart; consider what great things he has done for you” (1 Samuel 12:24).
In his speech to all of Israel, Samuel reminded the people of the great things God had done for them in the past. In particular, how He had brought their ancestors out of Egypt (1 Samuel 12:6), and how God had delivered the people and kept them safe when they had sinned (1 Samuel 12:11).
Then when Samuel prayed for rain and thunder and God delivered both, the people were both in awe of God but also afraid. Samuel told the people not to be frightened of God, but to have a healthy sense of awe. For God was always good, always rescued them, and never rejected them because “the Lord was pleased to make you his own” (1 Samuel 12:20-22).
The people were to look for evidence of God’s goodness and blessings in their life and this would help them be awe-inspired again.
Likewise, we are to look for evidence in our own lives of the great things God has done and is doing. Most specifically, how He has been pleased to make us His own by delivering us from our sin through sending His Son. We should consider how He willingly forgives us, how He blesses His people, and how He blesses each of us personally.
We are not to live in fear of God. We are to have a healthy respect for His power and sovereignty and, at the same time, know that God always delivers us (Psalm 34:19), always protects us (Psalm 91:14, Hebrews 13:5), and never forsakes us (Psalm 9:10).
Recognizing what God has done in your life will make you awe-inspired again so you can say: “Who among the gods is like you, Lord? Who is like you—majestic in holiness, awesome in glory, working wonders?” (Exodus 15:11).
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