Reverence for God = Courage

Marketing experts know that most people long for a new look as well as a new beginning. This may happen after a divorce or death in the family. It can take place following the loss of a career. Health issues force changes that were considered impossible. Modifying how we think and feel can be difficult to accomplish.

While Moses was looking after his sheep on the backside of the Sinai desert, he observed a burning bush that was not consumed by the fire. When he stopped to explore, God then called out to Moses from the bush. Rather bewildered, Moses responded to God by saying: "Here I am." In reverence for God, Moses then removed his sandals.

By this act of reverence, God knew Moses would be receptive to further communication and would follow through with fulfilling his purpose. As we display reverence to God, it indicates a receptive heart for change and a new beginning. Reverence for God instills courage to tackle what seems like a daunting, impossible task. 

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After this, I heard the Lord ask, “Is there anyone I can send? Will someone go for us?”

“I’ll go,” I answered. “Send me!”

~Isaiah 6:8 Contemporary English Version

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Permit Reverence to Exist within You

In 1850 the English poet Alfred Lord Tennyson wrote, "Let knowledge grow from more to more, so more of reverence in us might dwell to make music as before." If in a high-tech world we permit life to become so overwhelmingly stressful, our heart and mind will get out of sync and cannot make music together.

More importantly, if we lose an attitude of reverence for the Lord God, human life may lose its sense of value. When the mind and soul get out of step and lose their harmony in the struggle to stay afloat, peace and joy that once made music together may get lost along with your attitude of reverence.

A significant commitment you make to yourself is to maintain reverence for the Lord God. Reverence for God ensures that you use your days upon the earth wisely as God planned. An attitude of reverence nurtures both the mind and the spirit while providing energy and resourcefulness to make the best use of your gifts and talents. 

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 Tell me where you want me to go and I will go there. May every fiber of my being unite in reverence to your name. With all my heart I will praise you. I will give glory to your name forever, for you love me so much! You are constantly so kind!

~Psalm 86:11-13 The Living Bible

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The Ten Commandments: A Map for Reverence

Reverence as a virtue has always been associated with appropriate conduct. The Ten Commandments were meant to be a map for showing  reverence for God and all of life. The basic objective of parenting is to teach children to demonstrate appropriate conduct, a gracious disposition, and reverence for God – all based on the Ten Commandments.

Jesus emphatically stated that his objective was to fulfill the Ten Commandments. So no matter how sophisticated our culture becomes, we can never grow beyond our need for Christ Jesus and his command that we love one another as he has loved us.

An attitude of reverence for God provides hope for believing, "Greater is he, the Holy Spirit, who is in you than he, Satan, who is in the world." The more sincere our attitude of reverence is for God, the better equipped we are to fight the good fight of faith he entrusted into our care. God empowers us to live a life that honors him.  

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Don’t suppose I came to do away with the Law and the Prophets. I did not come to do away with them, but to give them their full meaning.

~Matthew 5:17 Contemporary English Version

 

Blessings on all who reverence and trust the Lord – on all who obey him.  

~Psalm 128:1 The Living Bible

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Develop an Attitude of Reverence for God

A person's attitude will eventually be revealed, whether it’s political, religious, or social. So it is with reverence. If we accept reverence as a virtue and then let it become a part of our being, there will be a powerful need to express it directed toward God, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit.

God gave the Hebrew people the Ten Commandments as they were making their way to the Promised Land. They constructed a tent for worship with a designated area set aside as the Holy of Holies where a special priest could enter to offer a specific sacrifice. God’s purpose was to teach them reverence for a place and for himself.

Positive and negative attitudes begin developing early in childhood. Positive attitudes encourage appreciation for what is good and holy and directly influence a willingness to express reverence. Where there is heartfelt reverence for what is holy, pure, and praiseworthy, one’s judgmental and critical attitudes are less likely to dominate.  

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He gave them the following instructions: “You must perform your duties in reverence for the Lord, faithfully obeying him in everything you do.  

~2 Chronicles 19:9 Good News Bible

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Expressing Adoration with Thanksgiving

Reverence for the Lord builds a bridge to confidence, knowledge, and wisdom. Reverence also builds trust for managing crises which each person must face. Reverence for Christ Jesus builds faith to accept that "all things work together for good to those who love God and are called according to his purposes".

When everything appears to be in place for us, displaying reverence to God by expressing thanksgiving demonstrates our heartfelt gratitude. Reverence for God helps us keep a right perspective on the transient nature of the material things we try so desperately try to possess. True wealth is only found in love for God and others.

This is what Jesus means when he tells us to lay up our treasures in heaven where they will be secure. 2 Chronicles 19:9 reminds us that reverence for the Lord helps us cope with situations that are beyond our control. Reverence for God places us in a position to receive all the help God is willing to extend to us.  

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A good person brings good out of the treasure of good things in his heart; a bad person brings bad out of his treasure of bad things. For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.

~Luke 6:45 Good News Bible

 

Therefore, since we receive a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us show gratitude, and offer to God pleasing service and acceptable worship with reverence and awe.

~Hebrews 12:28 Amplified Bible

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Discover Life's Greatest Treasure

What do you treasure most in your life? Most people say their family. Isaiah 33 speaks of the majesty of the Lord God this way. "How great is God? He always protects His people and gives them wisdom and knowledge. Their greatest treasure is their reverence for the Lord."

How does reverence for God become your life’s greatest treasure? First, submit  to him completely and then change what you’ve put in place of the reverence that belongs to God. When you make reverence for God your greatest treasure, he gives you strength and wisdom for making this your life’s priority.

Getting rid of sin and evil in your life is difficult, but it’s necessary for reverence of God to have first place. Hebrews 12:1 tells us to "Rid yourself of everything that gets in the way, especially the sin that holds on to you so tightly." This is possible as you keep your eyes completely fixed on Jesus and keep your heart and mind receptive to his cleansing power. You can do that. God will help. 

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The God who said, “Out of darkness the light shall shine!” is the same God who made his light shine in our hearts, to bring us the knowledge of God’s glory shining in the face of Christ. Yet we who have this spiritual treasure are like common clay pots, in order to show that the supreme power belongs to God, not to us. We are often troubled, but not crushed; sometimes in doubt, but never in despair.  

~2 Corinthians 4:6-8 Good News Bible

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Reverence for God – Reclaim the Treasure

There are those who suggest that we’ve lost true reverence for just about everything that deserves it. Instead, we reverence what is transient and temporal, such as success, wealth, and sex. Initially, reverence usually provokes images of worship and devotion that belong to God, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit.

If reverence is accepted as a virtue, then reclaiming reverence and focusing on it as highly desirable would be the right thing to do. Some people in our society believe marriage deserves reverence and devotion. When marriage is acknowledged as deserving loyalty, faithfulness, and respect, then choosing a lifelong partner should be done with God’s approval.

God's word tells us not to conform to this world's image but be transformed to a new way of thinking by understanding God's will for our lives. To have reverence for God and for what he approves provides a quality to life that is worth obtaining. This treasure guarantees security for eternity and peace with God.  

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With these promises ringing in our ears, dear friends, let us cleanse ourselves from anything that pollutes body or soul. Let us prove our reverence for God by consecrating ourselves to him completely.

2 Corinthians 7:1 Phillips – New Testament in Modern English 

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Rediscovering Reverence

History acknowledges that thousands of Russians came forward to mourn the death of Joseph Stalin, knowing he was responsible for the death and enslavement of millions of the Russian people. Despite knowing this, the people still needed to adore and show reverence for him. Reverence is a mindset that elevates someone above normal.

At the other end of the spectrum is one’s losing reverence for what should be honored and respected. Becoming too self-centered is usually the culprit for becoming less reverent in one's thoughts and feelings. The early Christians’ reverence for Jesus was apparent, for they honored him above everything and everyone.

John Greenleaf Whittier offered this prayer for those who had  become indifferent to the virtue of reverence: "Dear Lord and Father of mankind, Forgive our foolish ways! Reclothe in us our rightful mind, In purer hearts Thy service find, In deeper reverence, praise." We need this prayer to help us rediscover reverence for the Lord God and Christ Jesus.  

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Don’t envy evil men but continue to reverence the Lord all the time, for surely you have a wonderful future ahead of you. There Is hope for you yet!

~Proverbs 23:17-18 The Living Bible

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