Week 3 Day 2 - Holy! Holy! Holy!

TIES OF GRACE DAILY DEVOTIONS

WEEK 3: Holy, Holy, Holy! 

Day 2:  1 Peter 1:16

¹⁶ for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.”



This week we are spending time totally on praising our God.  Our title for the devotions this week is “Holy, Holy, Holy!” How many times in praise song, do we cry out these very words?  Yet, how much do we really understand about the Holiness of God?  How critical it is when we praise God, to understand who it is we praise.  Sometimes, I think in our limited understanding, without even meaning to, we limit God.  It’s kind of like when we are dating the love of our life.  I remember how much I thought I knew my main squeeze.  We were the best of friends before we ever even went on a date.  We spent hours and hours talking and sharing our hearts and dreams.  When we began to date, that just went to an even deeper level.  I began to observe him very closely.  How did he treat his mother?  How did he treat strangers?  How was he with kids?  What did he do towards me when we argued?  When I walked down the isle of the church to that handsome man that day, I had no doubt I knew him and knew him well.  And then we were married.  During that first year I began to realize how many things I didn’t know about him.  I didn’t know it annoyed him for me to squeeze the toothpaste tube in the middle.  I didn’t know how annoyed I would be when he left the toilet seat up constantly.  I didn’t know how loud he could snore.  But I also didn’t know how he would grow stronger and more beautiful to me when we faced tragedy together.  I never realized how deep his quiet walk truly was with the Lord until he stayed steady in the midst of burying our precious 3 year old son.  I never knew the amount of deep integrity until I saw him maintain it, even as an employee was caught embezzling money from our company, through hiding accounts and stealing the money, which put Todd out of business.  So many more levels to him than I could have imagined 19 years ago when I said, “I do!” and meant it forever at the young age of just 21.  It has taken time and experience to continue to understand the depth of the man I love.  And he is just a man!  How much more is God!  So tonight, as we begin to dig into our praise of our Father, we have to start with Holy.  We are called to holy, because He is holy! Sometimes I think we try to make holy a simple attribute, much like God is love or God is power.  But holy, as it is used in the bible is really a reflection of His complete separateness transcending all other things.  To me, that tells me that even as I praise Him, and cry out Holy, Holy, Holy, I don’t even begin to grasp the magnitude of who He really is!  It is exciting to me that as much as I love Him, there is so much more to love than I even can begin to comprehend this side of heaven!  How much more will our praises increase when we are there, with His Holiness, face to face?  I get chills thinking about it!  So tonight, I praise Him for what I do know and understand.  And like this verse commands, I will attempt, through His help alone, to become more like Him as this scripture commands.  And all the while, I will cry out, “Holy, Holy, Holy” with the praise of a bride truly awaiting her bridegroom, knowing that now is good, but the future is going to boggle my mind!   What is your most favorite way to praise?  How often do you feel you truly surrender and praise completely?  When you think of how little we really understand, and yet how blessed we already are, does it make you want to fall face down?  If not, what do you think is stopping you?